Citrine the Dragon Pillar
by FanRandom
Summary: This story starts during the Dragon Incursion on July 7th X791 at the end of the Grand Magic Tournament. It looks at how the entrance of a foreign element, a unknown man with remarkable power affects the flow of events. The story begins to deviate, due to the insight the individual possesses as well as their interference with certain characters and the assumed truths they reveal.
1. Zilconis and the Unknown Man

PROLOGUE:

The year x791 July 7th:

Dragons have recently invaded Fiore via the opening of the eclipse gate. Having received their orders from the rogue of x798, 6 of the 7 dragons including future rogue had departed the castle plateau to lay waste to the surrounding city and the occupying wizards.

Wendy the Sky Dragon Slayer with the assistance of Mirajane in her Sitri-Demon Form had put up a valiant but in the end futile effort. The Jade Dragon Zilconis having only simply been put off-balance by the change in wind pressure created by Wendy's Sky Dragon roar had just recently Thrown Lucy Heartfilia from the scene.

Now Zilconis, has just landed safely back on the ground to gloat at the feebleness of Wendy and Mirajane's attack.

* * *

Wendy realising the truth in Zilconis' words let out a small inaudible sigh.

However, knowing that her friends, her fellow guild members and countless other wizards were fighting for their survival despite the futility of their actions, she would not be the first to back down under the pressure.

"I don't care!" Wendy exclaimed, getting the dragons attention.

"I may not have anywhere near the power that my mother had to defeat a real dragon, but that does not mean I won't try to protect my friends." Wendy yelled at the dragon, before she began to eat the air around her.

Zilconis let out a boisterous laugh "hahaha, amusing. There is some fire in your words, but the outcome is obvious. Now! How about I just get this over with and eat you?!"

Zilconis despite his size swiftly charged at Wendy's position.

However, Meer feet away from his supposed meal and to the shock of all the humans in the area, he crashed into a thin green magical wall that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Gah... What's all this noise, Why is there Temporal Resonance here?! I can't sleep; it's giving me a headache." An unknown voice complained.

At that moment a small opening seemingly out of nowhere appeared in the air about 10 meters behind Mirajane and Wendy's Position.

A man who looked like a peasant or farmer wearing a thin beige shirt and Brown tattered pants with a pair of simple sandals on his feet emerged from the rift, the only standout features he had, was his blond hair and strange purple eyes.

Princes Hisui puzzledly stared at the common looking man, However Arcadios as he missed seeing him emerge from rift himself because he was shielding the princess shouted "What are civilians doing here? RUN!"

The enigmatic man stared at Wendy and after what seemed like an age but in reality was only a few seconds simply said 1 word: "Grandine?"

"Wait, what?!" Wendy exclaimed as the mention of her 'mother' had taken her by surprise, especially coming from this unknown person.

Zilconis who was losing patience with situation as he had just had his dinner interrupted angrily exclaimed "who are you human! Are you the one responsible for getting between me and my snack?"

"I'll give you some credit I had no idea a human could even make a barrier of this size. However... If I can't have them, then ill simply destroy them! AND THIS AREA WITH IT!" Zilconis yelled as he raised himself off the ground with his giant wings and began posturing himself for a breath attack in the sky.

The Unknown Man started to slowly walk forward towards the Fairy Tail pair that were frozen in panic at the unfolding situation, their minds filled with the memories of Acnologia's breath attack at Tenrou Island.

"Human?... No... Not anymore" The man said as he continued to calmly walk to a position between the 2 pairs of humans "That was but a brief moment of my existence ... But now I'm whole again"

The man raised his hand up towards Zilconis' position in the sky, and a large green translucent field appeared in a parabolic shape that arched up at Zilconis.

Zilconis, who had no interest in the man's response, unleashed his breath attack on the human ants below, chuckling after as he savoured the moment...

However, instead of the satisfying rumbling explosion he was used to the breath fizzled and dissipated into the shield that had been erected.

"Huh?! What is this! Why are you still alive?!" Zilconis exclaimed with his eyes widening in disbelief.

All the humans in the area had in an instant gone from terror and the acceptance of death; to the shock of realising they were still alive. They all had to try to remember how to breathe, but they had no idea what had just happened.

Wendy in a flurry of adrenaline blurted "What was that just now? Who are you? How do you know my mother?" as she stared towards the unknown individual.

The man turned and smiled towards the Dragon Slayer. "I'm sorry Wendy, I didn't realise who you were at first, because the composition of your magic is the same as your mother's. But it's all starting to come back to me now"

"What year is this?" the man added in confusion.

"X791" Mirajane responding while Wendy was still processing the concept of magic composition, "July 7th" Mira added after a few seconds.

"791..." the man thought blankly, "14 years ... still sooner than expected" he mumbled but then added "but close enough".

"Wait, why are you so small Wendy?" The man said as he looked back at Wendy.

"Do we have to do this now?" Wendy responded with embarrassment thinking that the man was referring to her bust size.

The man focused back at the task at hand, turning his attention to the Dragon hovering above, which lucky for them was still in a state of confusion from his previously failed attack.

"ZILCONIS! Why are you here?" He shouted with a look of seriousness in his eyes.

"I don't answer to human insects no matter what fleeting power they display!" Zilconis angrily snapped back

"I see ... well because you have a role yet to play, I guess I can't kill you..." the man stated while considering his course of action.

"However... I can't ignore your blind arrogance and attitude towards me. It seems time travel has dulled your senses." As the man finished this a green fire spontaneously erupted around his body, with noticeable flashes of white lightning that could be seen arcing within the flames.

"5% shouldn't kill the humans" The man muttered to himself as the green fire subsided to reveal a pair of deep yellow almost gold coloured Dragon Wings phasing into existence on his back. His eyes changed from purple to now a fiery yellow and white lightening from the fire could now be seen arching sporadically between the wings, like 2 Tesla-Coils.

"Golden wings?!" exclaimed Zilconis as he witnessed the transformation at the same time he was hit by a wall of magical pressure. "You're the Pillar?! I... Please I didn't know!" Zilconis stricken with intense fear, screaming in terror "DON'T KILL ME!"

The nearby humans Arcadios, and Princess Hisui froze unable to move due to the sudden power unleashed by the unknown person, Wendy and Mirajane were somewhat less effected, but all 4 of them were still able to see the drastic change in Zilconis.

(What is this person? And why is the Dragon so terrified of him?) Ran through their minds in unison, as they could only look on in fear.

"I told you, I will not kill you." The man with the Dragon wings calmly said

"You still have a role to play; which by the way, I strongly recommend that when you get back you don't mention seeing me as that won't end well for you." The man stated without even a hint of emotion shown.

"However... I still have to punish you..." the second he finish saying this, the Man vanished

A few seconds passed causing confusion but then Zilconis suddenly let out a pained roar. All of the Humans quickly focused their eyes upwards on Zilconis location.

Above the Dragon, who was now falling at a rapid pace towards the ground, was the Unknown Man with the dragon wings his right arm extended with his fist clenched.

But what really caught their eye was that he was being repeatedly struck by white lightning from the clouds above, the man however didn't really seem to take notice of the lightning bursts, and in fact they seemed more like an extension of his body.

Zilconis crashed into the edge of the circular plateau creating a large crater from his impact. At this point Zilconis stopped moving and only a wheezing sound could be heard coming from his direction.

"He knocked the Dragon out?!" Arcadios and Mirajane exclaimed in unison, meanwhile Wendy and Princess Hisui had resumed jaw drop poses.

A few seconds later, the unknown man seemed to vanish again from his place in the sky, reappearing back on the ground between the 2 pairs of humans.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't stand listening to that little wyrm any longer" The Man said as he scratched his head. "He always kind of got on my nerves any ways, but for now he is no longer a threat to you." The man stated stretching his wings out in a way that could only be described like cracking his knuckles.

"Who are you sir, or better yet what are you?" Princess Hisui asked with a hundred questions floating through her mind.

"Oh, I guess I never really introduced myself before." The man said as he stopped moving.

"My name is Citrine, and I'm a Dragon"


	2. The Unknown Man and Purity of the Heart

Zilconis has recently been knocked out and the unknown individual has just revealed to the group that he is a 'Dragon' called Citrine.

With Wendy, Mirajane, Arcadios, and Princess Hisui present, they are now trying to come to terms with this information.

* * *

"EH?" All 4 of the humans with a stunned look on their face stared at this man who identified himself as Citrine, despite what they had seen they weren't entirely convinced.

"Do you mean you're a Dragon Slayer who had become a Dragon? We were told this by one of the dragon spirits in a cave below the arena" Wendy said, still worried about the prospect of her becoming a dragon through continued use of her magic.

"No no, I'm a 'Dragon' Dragon" the man responded as if that would clear up any confusion.

"But you look like a human, well except for the wings of course" Arcadios said as he tried to think back over his research into dragons for any precedence.

"Oh this? I'm not a typical Dragon. As a Dragons power increases we have the ability to change our form, it is useful for peacefully hiding out or mingling with the lesser species, of course we have to seal away our power but this helps prevent drawing attention as well as allowing us to maintain form."

Mirajane who had amazingly gone back to her regular composed self despite everything that happened maybe because the concept seemed like beast soul or demon soul to her, chimed in "Zilconis referred to you as a 'Pillar' and seemed to be terrified of you?"

"Well it is my official title within the Dragon Society." The man paused thinking for a few seconds (how can I explain it...) "OK! I got it" he exclaimed.

"You're a wizard yes?" the man asked with Mirajane quickly responding "Yes"

"However there are wizards of greater power above you? I think they are called Saints if my memory serves... Well I'm the Dragon equivalent" the man stated while scratching the back of his neck.

"EHHH! YOU'RE A DRAGON SAINT!" Wendy, Arcadios, Mirajane and Princess Hisui all shouted in unison.

"Well my official title would be The Dragon Pillar of Light" He said with a smile

Upon hearing this Arcadios as if struck by lightning blurted out "Wait I came across something like this..."

"In a drawing I saw it showed 2 dragons with what looked like crystals over their bodies, one was depicted as having rays of light beaming out of it while the other seemed to show what looked like swirls like it was absorbing the light" Arcadios exclaimed as his brain raced trying to dig through his memory on the subject.

"There is a little more too it... But I don't think this is really the time to explain it all." Citrine quickly said while gesturing to the city below with explosions occurring sporadically.

"I will deal with the few dragons that have appeared here, they are mostly only Soldier Class Dragons so it won't take long. I'm sensing 6 Dragons total in the vicinity and only 1 of them seems to be a Captain Class... his element is Fire" Citrine added while closing his eyes.

"Wendy, I'm sure you're quite adept at healing?" asked Citrine opening his eyes to stare at Wendy.

"Well I can heal thanks to Grandine's teachings" Wendy said but with little confidence after hearing that the Dragons in the area were apparently weak.

"Here." Citrine said extending his right palm while creating a small blue tornado "I'm sure you can put it to good use" he smiled. Wendy understanding the gesture devoured the tornado and upon doing so her body was immediately pushed into dragon force for the first time.

The rush of power was more than she had imagined, maybe because she had never done it before. However she felt it was more likely because the wind was in such a concentrated state coming from their new friend.

"I'll leave you 4 here please use your power to help the other humans in the area. I'm going to deal with the other Dragons." And with that Citrine took off towards the city.

* * *

The city streets of the capital looked like a war zone, half-broken buildings from where dragons had simply walked through walls could be seen in abundance but what drew the eye of Citrine was a man with purple scales clearly visible on his arms 'Cobra from Oracion Seis' Battling a Rock Dragon Soldier Class.

* * *

"Hmm Maybe I should've picked another dragon, it's hard to poison a dragon who doesn't breathe" Cobra angrily exclaimed while continuing to wail away at the wall of rock.

"It wouldn't matter which one of us you fought, it would all be the same" The Rock Dragon stated with an evil grin on its face.

Cobra finished his volley of punches and leapt back to make some distance between him and his adversary. He thought to himself (I can hear him but that isn't useful if I can't hurt him) at that moment what looked like a white comet to onlookers crashed between the two.

"Hmm, Rock Soldier... This won't take long" A Man's voice could be heard coming from the cloud of dust that had enveloped the area of impact.

"OI! I don't know who the fuck you are but this one is mine, go get your own dragon!" Cobra shouted at the dust in response to the voice.

However, as the dust cleared and the man with his dragon wings became visible. Cobra's ego started to deflate a little.

The Dragon looked at the man not knowing what to think, he had never seen the golden wings of a dragon before. "What are you, you're different from these humans, and your magic is more... 'Pure'" the Rock Dragon queried.

Without hesitation Citrine remarked "You shouldn't be here, and are of little importance... Disappear!" He shouted as he dashed straight at the Rock Dragon landing a single straight punch on its large jaw.

A split second later as if reality needed to catch-up to the moment, the front half of the dragons body exploded into a cloud of dust.

Pausing a few seconds Citrine then turned his attentions to Cobra "You're smell... It is of evil little one... and yet you seem to have Dragon Magic? Who taught you?"

"What of it? I don't have to answer to you" Cobra remarked hissing back like his name would suggest.

"Sorry to tell you this, but you do have to answer to me. That's my Magic!" Citrine responded confusing Cobra for a second before he became more agitated.

"Your Magic? Look I don't care what you think is yours! But I got nothing to say to you, now piss off." Cobra angrily responded not intimidated by the fact that this man had just killed the dragon he was struggling with.

"I see..." Citrine sighed "Well as far as I'm concerned you're not fit to wield it, your heart is not pure enough."

Citrine dashed at an incredible speed towards Cobra giving him no time to react, quickly pinning him against the wall behind him. 4 small green shield braces appeared around his wrists and ankles holding in place.

"Grrrhhh!" Cobra groaned as he struggled to break the bonds that had materialized.

"I won't have a freak like you looking down on me." Cobra then opened his mouth and exhaled releasing a cloud of poison which quickly enveloped Citrine.

"Hahaha, thanks for making it easy" Cobra triumphantly exclaims as he looked over the poison cloud surrounding Citrine, however his victory was short lived as the poison begins to vanish.

"This is why you are not worthy" Citrine stated as the poison dissipated in the air. "I told you this was my magic, and that little outburst from you reaffirms my stance, you do not deserve Dragon Magic."

Citrine took a step back, forming a larger green shield that covered Cobra like a cocoon while he remained contained against the wall.

"This may hurt a little but don't worry, that's a healing barrier using earth magic, like that Dragon I just killed, inside that space there won't be any lasting physical damage... in fact it may even do something about that eye of yours."

Citrine's eyes changed colour to a deep blue looking over cobra from head to toe, before he placed out both his hands near the shield, cupping them like he was about to scoop some water out of a pond. Citrine closed his eyes and began to concentrate deeply.

Cobra's body began to rapidly shake it wasn't like a seizure, it was more like he started resonating like a tuning fork. Soon a purple looking liquid began to form around Cobra's body and despite gravity it started flowing upwards into Citrine's palms.

After a few seconds Cobra stopped shaking but seemed to lose consciousness. The purple liquid that had accumulated in Citrine's palms condensed into a small purple crystal that resembled an Emerald cut Amethyst, this was a Poison Dragon Lacrima.

Citrine opened a small rift above his palms and sent the Lacrima into his personal storage dimension. Once the gem was gone he released the shield holding cobra in place and upon doing so Cobra regained consciousness.

"I... I can still hear them?" Cobra said puzzled as he tried to regain his baring

"Yes? Why wouldn't you be able to hear?" Citrine responded a little confused.

"But, I can still hear everyone... their muscles, their thoughts, I hear it all!" Cobra stated again.

"Your enhanced hearing... That is your own magic. I only took back the Dragon Power of Poison; I have no right over your personal ability. Perhaps you should master your own magic as it is the ability to listen to people's hearts" Citrine smiled at the idea.

But Cobra wasn't amused, "Give me back my poison you asshole!" he shouted.

"With that mouth you have all the poison you need" Citrine angrily retorted before adding "I don't have time for you, I have 5 more dragons to put down"

"Five? Wasn't there seven?" the few members of Blue Pegasus who were still in the vicinity exclaimed. "Does that mean that one had already defeated before this?" They shouted with excitement and relief.

"What are you?" Cobra muttered still weak from his ordeal.

Citrine smiled back while happily stating "I'm a Dragon"

Once this was said, Citrine took off into the air his eyes changing back to purple to find the next closest Dragon Energy as he scanned the area.

He noticed the next closest Dragon appeared to be running full speed through the city and it was chasing a blonde haired boy who was giving off dragon magic. Having found his next target Citrine started his pursuit.


	3. Twin Dragons and the Temporal Shift

Citrine had just taken Cobra's Dragon Slayer powers from him by force, and was now on the move again to hunt down the problem dragons in the area.

Having spotted a Dragon chasing a blonde haired boy he pursued it to the City's Central Square.

* * *

"What are you spacing out for!?" Sting yelled as he entered the square looking at his fellow Sabretooth member

"Sting!?" Rogue said with surprise.

"I'll lend you a hand, let's do this!" Sting confidently responded

"You... Took one down already?" Rogue responded filling with hope at the thought of his fellow guild member joining him having already shown victory was possible.

"NAH... I Brought it with me!... HAHAHAHA" sting cried out in laughter as the wall behind him exploded revealing another Dragon.

"WHAT!?" Rogue Exclaimed in shock "You think this is some kind of joke?!" Rogue angrily added

"Well whatever happens happens... We're a team, after all!" Sting grinned.

"Let's Show 'em the power of the Twin Dragons" Sting exclaimed looking at his brother in arms.

"Yeah, Lets go" Rogue responded as they turned to face their Dragon foes.

At that moment without warning The Metal Dragon Soldier called Scissor Runner flew across the Square; a large circular shockwave was seen cutting vertically through the air at the dragon's previous position.

Both Sting and Rogue stared in confusion at the figure before them standing at the epicentre of the shockwave. "Heh, nice one" Sting happily shouted at the stranger before he noticed the wings.

"Huh, what are you?" Rogue said in confusion "Your wings?... and your smell?"

"You two have time for that now?" Citrine responded as he raised a finger pointing at The Water Dragon Revire who was preparing a Breath Attack.

Both Sting and Rogue quickly jumped in opposite directions to avoid the breath as it blasted through the centre of them, narrowly missing the two as it continued on through several buildings behind them.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" the voice from across the square called out as Scissor Runner the Metal Dragon who had previously been punched from behind across the area regained his composure.

"I'm Citrine, Pillar of Light! I'm ordering you two to stand down!" Citrine responded back ensuring that both dragons heard him loud and clear.

"Well that's too bad Your Majesty" Revire said with sarcasm as he continued "Unfortunately we don't take orders from you" Revire the Water Dragon Snapped.

Citrine Sighed, "Well if you want to remain as Obsidian's Pawns even here then that's your choice. But it is not wise when faced with the White Queen" Citrine responded.

"White Queen? But you're a dude?" Sting interrupted the concept of chess lost on him.

"I can't reveal my true human form just yet Citrine responded" with a wink that sent chills down Sting and Rogue's spines.

"Well in any case..." Citrine stated before vanishing "CHECKMATE!" the Voice of Citrine finished coming from overhead, as a large current of white lightning arcing into him from the clouds as he hovered 50 meters in the air above Revire.

"Pulsar" Citrine calmly spoke the word as a circular ball of energy compressed between the two golden wings points above his head and in a flash a powerful laser shot down in a sweeping motion across the square, landing a few meters away from the 2 dragon slayers but slicing both the large dragon bodies in half.

Sting and Rogue both scared out of their minds from what looked like a narrow escape soon noticed the lack of collateral damage the beam had left, the power decimated the 2 dragons themselves however on the cobble stone road between them there were only a few bricks in a line that were melted.

"What!.. What the hell was that! Are you trying to kill us!?" Rogue screamed at Citrine as he hovered above.

"Was that Holy Magic just now!?" Sting questioned as Citrine descended, landing near the two Dragon Slayers.

"Technically Yes, but it was actually a combination of Holy and Lightning. Holy for precision and lightning for power as it directly counter the Dragon Elements of Water and Metal their affiliation to the Dark helped give the Holy side a little boost but the Lightning would've been sufficient." Citrine responded but the blank stares on Sting and Rogue's faces didn't give the impression that it sunk in.

"Well either way, I'm pleased to say that the 2 of you are radiating light, which I'm happy to see" Citrine smiled as he said this but Rogue and Sting just looked at each other puzzled.

"Um... thanks? But now that we have time, what are you?" Rogue replied However as he did a brief flash occurred.

* * *

*not too far from their position Ultear had just finished casting Arc of Time Last Aegis*

* * *

"Was that Holy...? Wait What!?" Sting stopping midway through his question as he had déjà vu remembering the answer provided.

Citrine didn't respond, instead he took off like a flash of lightning in the direction of the time magic distortions epicentre.

Citrine landed gently beside the hunched over body of a heavily breathing woman who was clearly in pain, without a moment's hesitation he placed a healing shield over the woman to ease her suffering.

"You did this? For a mortal the price is Fatal!" Citrine let out a sigh, his eyes changing to a Dark Blue as he inspected the woman, "I can see your life force pouring out of you like a severed artery" He added with concern.

"I'm evil... I deserve this... This is all I can do to repay my sins... and I couldn't even do that right... Heh" Ultear responded with a shake in her voice.

"Really? Then why do you sound so sorry? For an evil person you seem to have a lot of sorrow. Only those with hope can worry, so are you saying hope is evil?" Citrine questioned.

Ultear eyes began welling up in tears "It's done now, I don't regret my actions... this is all I can do"

"That may be true; it is all you can do." Citrine agreed before calmly adding "But ... it's not all I can do"

Citrine placed his hand over the healing shield he had erected over Ultear "you may have sacrificed your remaining life for your spell but I can still give you some of mine?"

Ultear stiffened in shock, she never expecting to hear this statement "why would you help me?" she remarked.

"Because I can, it's not that big of a loss to me." Citrine responded before closing his eyes in focus, as a steam of light left his hand. The light pooled inside Ultear as it filled the void left by the rapid departure of her Life Force.

"It may not be as much as you had before but it is about a decade. Live, you may think your evil but I can see a light in you even if you cannot, I'm sure others around you have noticed it also. If you have sins to atone for death will never wipe the slate clean, but your actions today should go a long way towards that goal." Citrine said with a smile.

"As a side note..." Citrine paused a second before continuing "The shield I placed on you was able to prevent the majority of the aging process your time magic was trying to impose on you. You have only aged about 1 year" Citrine said this triumphantly as if declaring war on wrinkles.

However, that hadn't even crossed Ultear's mind until then so she was left at a loss as to how to respond to the last statement. But, everything else this mysterious stranger had said she took to heart "Thank you... *sniff* I will" Ultear said as she tried to unsuccessfully stand up.

Citrine looked at Ultear this time with a more serious look on his face "Remember my words though... you still have your magic, and the mana associated with it will still continue to replenish... However the life span on its container is only a decade, so make the most of it".

Citrine paused a moment before adding "A Family may not be a bad idea, I know this from experience" He smiled at Ultear as he began to fly upwards into the sky his eyes changing back to purple he shouted "By the way my name is Citrine".

"I will... Live on" Ultear quiet reassured herself as she simply lay on the ground letting everything that had transpired sink in.

A few moments later she sat up slowly as she could hear Gray Fullbuster's voice exclaiming that he was alive and that he could see the future. Ultear realising the worth of her action burst into tears... during the overflowing of emotion that she hadn't felt in a very long time she muttered "Thank you... Citrine" to herself as she wept.


	4. Spirit Child and the Eclipse Solution

Citrine hovered in the sky above the city, having flown up to search for his next Dragon target, but he soon found himself distracted as he couldn't help but notice what looked like a brilliant white light not too far from his current location also hovering in the sky.

(What is this light? its innocence and purity) Citrine thought to himself as he made a b-line for this curious new target.

As he approached, the light began to take shape of what looked to be a small human child however it had no solid form, he could recognise it to be a human or at least the energy was in the shape of a human but there was no tangible corporeal form.

* * *

"Hello there?" he said with curiosity while using his purple eyes to track the energy of the spirit's location. The spirit didn't try to flee but did seem to fidget about in response to Citrine's query so he concluded it was sentient.

Citrine placed his hand out theorising that contact may help break the barrier of communication worse case he could try feeding it some magical power to give it form he thought. The little spirit understanding this took his hand and as hoped a young girl came into focus.

Citrine now being able to see her properly stated "let us try this again shall we" and with a smile quickly following up with "Hello".

"Greetings my name is Mavis Vermillion! I had observed your actions below, also your radiance. It's a pleasure to meet you"

"I also saw your light; it pleases me to see that human kind had continued to flourish in my absence and was able to achieve such purity." Citrine said with a smile before adding "Oh, where are my manners, my name is Citrine"

"Is that your only name Citrine? Miss Light Guardian" Mavis playfully responded in a slightly mischievous manner.

Citrine looked at Mavis a little surprised at her response before saying "It seems you can see me, I have my reasons for concealing that aspect of my identity... That being said I am impressed that you are able to recognise me as a Pillar. Might I ask how long you have been in this state?"

"Hmm, about 100 years" Mavis playfully responded despite the slightly underlined morbid nature of the question. "Oh, may I ask what it is you are planning to do here?" Mavis added after a brief pause from her previous answer.

"Acnologia..." Citrine muttered before remorsefully continuing "is he... still..."

Mavis paused at the fact a Pillar Guardian was asking about Acnologia, but because she could sense Citrine's affiliation to light she answered "Unfortunately he did make an appearance 7 years ago, however he has since vanished. No one is currently aware of his location"

"So he is still a prisoner... No one? I can think of one..." Citrine said while gritting his teeth with anger.

Citrine, still angry at the thought, tried hard to sugar coat his voice as he asked Mavis. "Are you aware of a human that may be possibly associated with him, I 'left' before getting his name?"

"Yes... I have been acquainted with the one you are most likely referring, he goes by the name Zeref ... The Black Wizard" Mavis responded displaying some sorrow.

"Zeref huh... Before his betrayal... Obsidian... Black Dragon Emperer" Citrine responded while seething as the memories of 400 years prior flashed in his mind.

Mavis found this information surprising as she was not aware Zeref was a dragon, she knew he had darkness and sorrow about him but it never occurred to her that he wasn't actually human.

"You say he was a Dragon? He didn't seem to be a Dragon like yourself? He appeared to be a human although immortal but human none the less" Mavis queried with a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

Citrine thought carefully about how to explain the situation keeping some cards close to his chest as he responded "As a Dragon Pillar we can split our spirit into multiple entities or containers; however upon doing so there are some sacrifices involved specifically in the balancing nature of what is given up or retained for each one..." Citrine paused before continuing.

"The 'Entity of Zeref' he created contains a substantial portion of his magical power as well as his immortality however he did not retain his dragon essence..." After thinking about it slightly more Citrine continued. "Basically I have wings right now because I chose to release them into this form; however Zeref is unable to whimsically manifest his dragon nature."

Citrine looked at Mavis to catch a glimpse into her mind to see if she was following.

"So at this time there is another piece of this Obsidian you referred to currently separate from the Zeref entity?" Mavis quickly replied.

"You're appearance is deceiving little one, you are quite sharp" Citrine smiled however not elaborating further on the question being asked, instead responding "At this moment I have the capacity to manifest 100% of my power, however I can't use it in the presence of most beings as my magical presence would instantly crush anyone below what you would consider to be a top wizard saint."

"Just know that I'm here to correct some mistakes." Citrine exclaimed with reassuring confidence before quietly muttering "The snowball that was cast down the hill casually... I will end the avalanche"

Mavis stared at Citrine's expression as he muttered to himself, she was just unable to make out exactly what he had said, but she could see regret in his eyes.

"Before I go Mavis may I ask what the nature of your being is? Your essence is much too dense to be a mere ghost; however I wouldn't be able to see you under normal circumstances... I doubt that normal humans could recognise your presence either, so I'm curious as to what your light illuminates?" Citrine asked while thinking of possible scenarios.

"Oh I'm watching over my guild! I'm First master of the Wizard Guild FairyTail!" Mavis pridefully responded with a beaming smile like an innocent child.

"Fairy Tail..." Citrine thought about it for a few seconds before adding "If their light is reflected in your own they must be a wonderful guild" Citrine smiled as he left the area and set off in the direction of the eclipse gate as he could see some new activity.

* * *

"I see... if Future Rogue Loses his means of travelling to the past, then we can re-write the past... in theory..." PantherLily Added

"Be that as it may... Can it really stop something that has already happened?" Princess Hisui questioned while thinking over the Temporal Implications of what was suggested.

"If all goes well then the Dragons and Rogue should disappear, right?" Happy cheerfully exclaimed.

"It's worth giving it a try..." Carla added with hope.

"However there remains a major Hurdle... We lack the means to destroy something of this size." Arcadios stated as his mind tried to bring the theory down to reality.

With fire in her eyes Lucy exclaimed "We'll just smash it with all the magic we've got!"

"INDEED!" Yukino added while sharing Lucy's vigor.

Both Mages then unleashed a dazzling display of celestial power combining multiple attacks across their summoned spirits. But despite their best efforts and most elaborate combinations they were unable to damage the gate...

"It's made out of a magic resilient alloy called Maginium, Destroying it is easier said than done, I'm afraid..." Arcadios said with doubt having witnessed the stunning attacks both Celestial Mages unleashed.

At that moment Citrine returned on the scene, however didn't draw attention to himself as he quietly smiled having witnessed the display of Celestial Magic. He couldn't help but zone out while wandering through his memories...

A few seconds later though, Citrine couldn't help but notice Laxus out of the corner of his eye as he seemed to be pouting, he had arrived in the area to help Wendy only to find her standing next to an unconscious Zilconis. The thought that Wendy could defeat a dragon and he could not weighed heavily on his mind.

It also didn't help that Wendy despite not actually being responsible for the situation couldn't help but take a juvenile stab at Laxus' ego thanks to the influence of Mirajane.

Laxus quickly got over it though upon making eye contact with Citrine. He noticed Citrine's form standing there with golden-yellow wings that had lightening crackling over them.

Laxus couldn't help but be attracted to that power particularly the lightning, letting off a spark himself before asking "What's your story?"

"Hello" Citrine responded with a smile as he analysed Laxus' magic composition with his eyes before saying "Lightning Dragon... Interesting"

Laxus let off a small arc of lightning, raising up his yellow hair like a small salute upon hearing this.

"May I ask who your Dragon was?" Citrine posed the question to Laxus.

"I didn't learn from a Dragon like Wendy and the others..." he added "unfortunately" in a considerably lower volume before continuing "I was given this magic at an extremely early age via a Lacrima"

Citrine stared at Laxus as he thought over the situation, then said "Your heart is considerably brighter than the other one I came across, I'm sure if you did have a Dragon they would be proud of how you have turned out so far" Citrine ended with a smile.

Laxus slightly touched by the words of this stranger couldn't help but show a small smile. "Thanks... However I still don't know who you are?" he replied with some defence in his words.

"Oh I'm Citrine, a Dragon"

Laxus raised an eyebrow at this response "What do you mean you're a Dragon?! Like that guy?" Laxus pointed at Zilconis.

"I guess... But I can't manifest my full Dragon Form here as it wouldn't be safe for humans let alone this city" Citrine quickly responded.

Laxus was slightly disappointed in his answer "So the other Dragons can run around the city but all you have to show for yourself are some wings? However I do acknowledge their coolness... But why are you a threat to us and they aren't? After all the other Dragons had done a fine job handing our asses to us".

"Well I'm not like the other dragons... right now I have about the same amount of power as them... but I've only released roughly 5% of my capacity, that was enough for me to kill 3 of the Dragons below" Citrine responded with a slight irritation in his voice.

"Five percent? And wait you killed 3 of the dragons?" Laxus exclaimed with some respect.

"Yes unfortunately I could do little to convince them with my current form and a full release was out of the question for the sake of the humans so I... remove them from the equation." Citrine continued with some sorrow weighing on his words "Don't worry the ones I killed won't be missed when time is corrected."

As he finished saying this Citrine looked up feeling a great magical pressure his eyes locking on to the energy approaching their position. "Fire?" Citrine said slightly puzzled.

"Wait Fire?!" Lucy exclaimed overhearing Citrine's statement

"Eh..? Is that...?" Yukino began to ask.

Happy peered up his tail swaying slightly from side to side as he proudly stared at the approaching fireball with ignorance of the situation he was in.

"Get away!, everyone get away from the gates" Arcadios yelled upon seeing the burning mass flying at their position with considerable speed.

Seconds later the large fireball containing the Adamantite Dragon Mothergrea and its 2 human occupants plunged through the Eclipse Gate ripping it to pieces.

"NATSU!" Happy exclaimed in delight

"The gates broke!" Lucy happily added.

"Unbelievable" exclaimed Arcadios "The Maginium alloy gates were..." the shock of what he had just witnessed preventing him from continuing further as his brain tried to process.

(Heh, well I guess there is no doubt who is Igneel's son) Citrine thought to himself before letting out a small chuckle (He would be proud).

"What happens now?!" Princess Hisui asked allowed in hopes that someone would have an answer.

"In Theory, the gates shouldn't be usable in the future anymore." Yukino stated

"In other words, Rogue has no means to come to the present." PantherLily added

"History will rewind!" Carla exclaimed.

Citrine interjected "History won't technically rewind however the creases in time will be ironed out as it removes impossible elements from the equation."

As Citrine finished saying this, the Adamantite Dragon began to glow white while showing signs of turning slightly translucent.

"The dragon's body is..!" Carla exclaimed

"IT'S GLOWING!" Wendy excitedly finished Carla's sentence.

In the distance Atlas Flame the Fire Dragon who Natsu dubbed his uncle was hovering peacefully above the plateau shouting out in the direction of his new friend

"IT APPEARS I MUST RETURN, TO MY OWN TIME!"  
"I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU... NATSU DRAGNEEL."

"Thanks for the help, Uncle." Natsu said with respect yet a slight loneliness in his heart as Atlas flame vanished from the night sky.

"They're... Gone..." Lucy said while showing signs of fatigue.

* * *

Off in a distant part of the city the Dragon that Gajeel had been containing started to vanish.

"The Dragons are disappearing?..." Gajeel said with some confusion.

"We did it Gajeel!" Levy exclaimed in delight.

"Yeah... But... it wasn't me" Gajeel said with some frustration.

Mavis, who was still surveying from the skies above, noticed Gajeel's situation "The Dragon Slayers alone were not enough to defeat a single dragon." Mavis stated with some sadness

"Citrine, your arrival at this time and place could not be a coincidence..." Mavis said with some hope in her words.

* * *

Sting glancing at Rogue let out a small sigh before stating "How pathetic if that Citrine guy hadn't assisted us I don't think we would've have defeated those two big Dragons."

"Makes me doubt my worth as a Dragon Slayer" Rogue replied but not before taking the time to clarify "At least when it comes to the full sized Dragons, those little guys however were no match for us"

"I guess that just goes to show the scale of our power currently, and those large Dragons weren't even close to Acnologia's league" Sting said with some sadness.

"However... I wonder about that Citrine, I couldn't gauge his power at all and he was able to obliterate 2 Dragons... And what's strange is he seemed to be holding back... Gives me hope for the future! 'Eh partner!" Sting happily said while looking at Rogue.

"We protected our comrades, that's something to be proud of" Rogue responded with a smile.

* * *

Back near the now destroyed eclipse gate... as time corrects

As Future Rogue disappeared back to his timeline

Lucy approached Natsu from behind; she wrapped her arms around him as she embraced his warmth.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Natsu instinctively asked but in reality he doesn't really need an answer.

"No... Not really... Just... Thankyou." Lucy responded while taking comfort in his presence, not wanting to ever let go.

Citrine observing the interaction from the edge of the plateau in a shadow couldn't help but flash a small grin.


	5. Aftermath

A day had passed since the destruction of the Eclipse Gate the Maginium that it was previously composed of was scattered around the crater of the small plateau.

Arcadios, The Princess, and King were all currently being scolded by Doranbolt of the Rune Knights for their stupidity for dabbling into Zeref's book.

Citrine was wearing a soldier's uniform that Arcadios had provided him allowing him to move around the area without raising too many questions. He had also since concealed his wings and resealed his power but at this time he had sat back watching the commotion with a little smirk.

* * *

Doranbolt left the area in a huff

Citrine deciding now would be a good time to ask the royals in attendance, said what was on his mind "So this Maginium that is now in ruins... Would you be upset if some of it went missing?"

Arcadios and the Princess both responded in unison "Not at all"

However the King responded with "What! That stuff is expensive!"

Citrine chuckled at the Kings response, but he knew the 3 of them wouldn't really oppose his request to take some knowing what he had done and was capable of... None the less he decided to sweeten the pot.

"How about I use magic to restore a large portion of the city that the Dragons destroyed? I'm sure that should cover the costs of the Maginium" he said with a grin.

The King didn't even hesitate with his response "It's all yours!" as he quickly turned and ran from the area, rubbing his stubby little hands together in glee as he counted the money saved in his head.

Citrine strolled over to the ruined gate and looked a chunk which was roughly 5 meters in height by 1 meter in length and width. "This piece should be plenty" he said placing his right hand on the frame and with a small fizzle the section vanished.

"What did you do?" Princess Hisui asked, she had observed Citrine's action after becoming instantly bored since the King's last response.

"I moved that section of the gate into a personal dimension, I'll play with it when I get some free time, but for now it is at least out-of-the-way" Citrine responded

"Well, time to restore some of the city that my idiot brethren destroyed." in saying this Citrine scanned his purple eyes across the city trying to find his new acquaintance with the perfect magic to do it. After a bit of sifting through the piles of wizards in town he spotted the unique magical essence he was looking for in the distance.

"I'll be off, should be all sorted in an hour or so" Citrine stated as he began to walk in the direction of the energy.

"Wait? An hour or so?!" Arcadios piped up "What are you going to be able to do in 1 hour?"

"You'll know it when you see it" Citrine exclaimed as he walked off, giving a wave dismissively.

* * *

About 30 minutes later as he really wasn't in any rush, he reached the residence with the magical essence inside; he could see it clearly on the second floor through the side wall.

As he entered the establishment he didn't get far in before being threatened by 2 startled wizards who were not expecting any guests.

"Who are you, what do you think you're doing here?" The Man asked with urgency.

The Woman in the room stared at the unexpected guest but at this stage what she was more concerned about was his dress attire which just happened to consist of the Fiore soldiers uniform Arcadios gave him.

Citrine had realised this as soon as the wizards confronted him... but alas hindsight's a bitch.

"Wait I'm not a guard, I just stole the uniform to get around the city more easily" Citrine said hoping to defuse the situation as it was in everyone's best interest.

"What's your name?" The Woman asked defensively.

"Citrine, I have come to speak to the other woman here"

"There isn't anyone else here" The Man quickly stated before adding "I don't know who you are, but I think you should leave"

"Wait Jellal!" The Woman said in a slight panic ensuring the volume wasn't enough to leave the house.

"Why would you use my name Meredy!?" Jellal quickly snapped back.

"What! You just used my name!" Meredy responded with a hint of anger.

Meanwhile Citrine stood still with his hands raised in the air as he observed the infighting, a large teardrop forming.

"Um... Sorry to break up the lovers' quarrel, but I wouldn't mind talking to the Time Wizard now..."

Jellal's eyes widened in surprise, when the soldier in front of him casually mentioned Ultear's Magic.

"That's what I was trying to tell you Jellal, this is the person who saved Ultear's Life!" Meredy stated trying to bring Jellal up to speed.

"What this guy?" Jellal pointed at Citrine with a look of heavy scepticism.

Citrine let out a sigh and started removing the plating covering his right arm. "Maybe this will convince you"

Citrine paused briefly before his eyes turned yellow and as if chanting in his mind 'right arm release 2%' his arm became engulfed in a green flame, white lightning crackled along the surface of his arm. Soon the green fire subsided to show Citrine's new arm, it was covered in thick very clearly defined yellow scales leading up to a claw which now replaced his hand.

Both Jellal and Meredy stared at him in confusion, Jellal could only think about how Sting and Rogue were able to activate Dragon Force through willpower alone.

"Wait what the hell is this? Ultear didn't say anything about this" Meredy exclaimed

"Are you a Dragon Slayer? Wait... This magic..." Jellal added.

"Oh she didn't tell you?... Actually, now that I think about it... I never actually told her I was a Dragon" Citrine let out a small laugh at the whole situation.

Meredy almost went into shock after hearing Citrine's words, Jellal kept the majority of his wits as he was more concerned by the magic's feeling. However, before Jellal could open his mouth to ask any questions, Ultear raced down the stairs as fast as she could into the room.

"ZEREF!" she exclaimed as she entered the room ready for war.

"Wait?! You know Zeref?!" Citrine responded to the group.

"EHHHH!?" almost all four of them exclaimed in unison.


	6. Ghosts of the Past

The 3 Wizards Ultear, Meredy and Jellal stared at their unexpected guest Citrine with confusion they had all just realised they shared a common link through Zeref and were now in the process of trying to sort out where each other stood.

* * *

"Ok I think we all need to take a breath here" Citrine said as he calmly took a seat at a nearby dining table. "Oh and hi... Ultear was it?" He smiled and waved.

Ultear with her eyes fixated on Citrine's arm pointed at it while making a circular motion with her hand "So, what's going on with that? Citrine" She questioned trying to get up to speed with the situation.

"Oh yeah I didn't tell you the other day but I'm a Dragon?" He smiled before adding "How else did you think I was able to give you my life-force without killing myself in the process?"

"I... Suppose... That makes sense..." Ultear responded with her jaw now swaying freely in the wind as she blinked.

"OK I think I should try to fill in a few blanks here" Citrine stated trying to clear the air.

"Firstly, I am a Dragon. ARM, CLAW, SCALES with lightning. Clearly not human"

All 3 of the humans in the room gave a quick double nod in unison reaffirming the obvious reality.

"Now what I am is what's called a Dragon Pillar, Specifically I'm the Dragon pillar of Light... Now if there is a light, there is also a Dark... This would be a Black Dragon known as Obsidian" Citrine quickly followed up with "And before you ask what a Pillar is, think of me as the Dragon equivalent to one of your Wizard Saints".

All 3 of them now just stared blankly without saying a word either because they didn't know what to say or were too stunned to argue.

Citrine raised an eyebrow but could see they were still with him so he continued

"Now, what you don't know is that Zeref is actually a shell entity created by Obsidian, which houses his consciousness similar to how I am before you now but there is a difference."

"Wait a minute Zeref's a Dragon?!" Ultear interrupted.

"Not exactly..." Citrine vaguely responded before clarifying...

"You see as it stands, I'm a Dragon in human form but at my core I'm 100% dragon. I'm sealing my power to not hurt those around me who can't handle my existence, but I'm capable of releasing those seals, returning me to my original Dragon form. This is where Zeref and I differ"

"Zeref is a human with Dragon Attributes, what Obsidian did was split his being into two, he placed the majority portion roughly 70% of his power into what you know as Zeref this included his immortality as a Pillar and consciousness. So Zeref is Obsidian without the dragon."

Citrine stopped for a minute to take a breath while considering how to word the next part of his story.

"So Zeref is 70% of this Dragon Obsidian?! But what about the other 30%?" Meredy asked while trying to wrap her head around everything said so far.

Citrine knew this was coming and could only respond with sadness "Acnologia..."

"Now it makes sense why Acnologia's power is so unimaginable even compared to that of the Dragons we saw yesterday." Jellal responded as it started to click in his mind.

"But... Acnologia... Isn't a Dragon like Obsidian in fact he wasn't a Dragon at all. Acnologia... Was the Human King of the time that I had given Dragon Slaying Magic" Citrine responded with regret

Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy all yelled "He was human?!"

Citrine lowering his head in shame as he continued his story

"The 30% portion of Obsidian consisted entirely of his Dragon Essence and Form but there was no consciousness to govern that power. It was pure Dragon predatory instinct and because of the magnitude of the power a Human had no chance to control it. Because of this Obsidian has effectively possessed Acnologia, his essence twisting the King's human body into that of a Black Dragon."

Citrine eyes welled up with tears as he tried to contain his emotion on the subject

"Acnologia himself was every bit the King the humans deserved... but what he has become now is a perversion. The Black Dragon known as Acnologia is now nothing more than a Prison, I don't know how much of the original King is left but what I do know is it's my fault for letting it get as far as it did."

"Why didn't you simply kill Obsidian when he split his essence? Wouldn't his demise benefit all the Dragons?" Jellal bluntly asked.

"Your right that since Obsidian split his essence the balance of power has shifted in my favour and I could've and can put an end to this madness. Although it would have meant killing the Human King as well, but I could have brought down Acnologia myself before countless lives were lost... However that in itself creates a new problem."

"If I had killed Acnologia, Obsidian 'should' have to reabsorb the lost 30% of his essence into Zeref, returning him to his original form. But, If he didn't he would forfeit the other 30% of his power... and the problem here would be the latter"

The 3 wizards were confused by this statement.

"Why would you prefer Obsidian to reabsorb the power?" Ultear asked confused

"Although in essence Obsidian and I are diametrically opposite we exist symbiotically. We both have the capacity for untold destruction however when we are in close proximity our 2 forces start to cancel out, this creates a calming effect on both of our powers, but that only works when our levels are equal.

"So right now without Obsidian, I exist in a very unstable state because I'm 100% whole. To compensate for this I'm maintaining seals on my power in an effort to keep the balance but I'm currently forced to release a lot of energy periodically to alleviate the stress on those seals. Eventually those seals will collapse and I will have to return to my full form."

"When that happens and Obsidian isn't there, I will have no choice but to also split myself like what Obsidian has done. I would return to my pocket dimension to rebuild the seals on my power, before I can return to the world to try again. As much as I want to kill Obsidian for everything that he has done, the balance must be maintained."

"I can kind of understand when you put it like that that, but what happens if he forfeits the power?" Ultear responded

Citrine thought for a moment on how to word the scenario so that the humans would understand.

"If I killed Acnologia and Obsidian didn't recombine his essence into Zeref, there would be a chance the next Dragon in line, one of the lesser royals in his ranks would inherit it by right of succession. If this were to occur that dragon would gain the 30% power and effectively become a New Black King, however that still means Zeref would remain and because of his 70% hold of power he would still be superior to the New King."

"In this scenario, in order continue the symbiotic state between the powers of Light and Dark, I would need to deal with both of the Kings at the same time and that is not much better than the current situation. It would still be Obsidian's choice to recombine the power by killing the lesser king, as the 30% king would lack the power alone kill Zeref for the remaining 70%... without assistance."

"If I was forced to assist the 30% king, because of my dominance I would inherit the 70% share instead... Likewise if no one succeeded the 30% of power in the first place that would mean I would also get it by default as I killed Acnologia..."

"But that sounds like a good outcome? Why wouldn't you having that power be favourable?" Jellal interrupted

Citrine shook his head before responding "Unfortunately you don't get it, right now I can't even contain my own power." Citrine placed his dragon arm on the nearby table ensuring the 3 wizards could clearly see it.

"This lightning you see, arcing over my scales, that is involuntary, it is my own power that I have no control over as my body can no longer contain it. As a Dragon, my form and Obsidian's for that matter are at their limit, that is the real reason for our symbiosis between the light and dark, it is the only way to balance our power."

After saying this Citrine took a moment to change his arm back to its human form.

Meredy, Ultear and Jellal all looked at each other as the seriousness of situation was becoming clear.

"So what happens in the event that Zeref and Acnologia are killed and no one is around to inherit it?" Jellal asked concerned as Dragons for the most part no long exist.

"If I was forced to take his power in... Effectively placing all Dragon Aspect Power into 1 container... Me..." Citrine thought for a minute about the realistic possibilities.

"If my body didn't simply explode wiping out this existence as the shock would destabilize our dimension or the reverse option of the 2 forces cancelling each other out so I as well as all magic would vanish, Honestly the latter would be ideal considering..."

Citrine paused for a second before continuing

"In the event my body did maintain its form... Right now 7% of my current power will kill a human that hasn't been touched by magic but they would need to be rather close to me... However at my current 100% unsealed form I kill all but 1% of beings around me for about 1KM, however my presence would greatly affects things beyond that radius."

Meredy, Ultear and Jellal all gasped in shock, as they considered their current proximity to Citrine.

Citrine paused again as he followed this path in his mind.

"I would have no way to contain my power... my seals wouldn't be able to function at that level so I would be forced to be 100% on, at 200% of my current... At 200% there wouldn't be a 1% meaning everything would die... But the radius could easily be 10KM. I can't even fathom the destruction inside that... But outside, it and probably for up to 100KM or more my presence would slowly poison everything draining everything of life."

The 3 wizards were lost for words, it was too much for them grasp.

"The only option would be to isolate myself away from everything that my presence would destroy; I would most likely go to another dimension to achieve this. Assuming that new dimension didn't collapse from my presence... Eventually I would be driven mad in my solitude, and end up returning to the world to destroy it. At that point I would be much worse than Obsidian ever was."

The 3 wizards just looked at Citrine and blinked

"HOWEVER!" Citrine exclaimed getting the attention of the 3 wizards, snapping them out of their depression. "There is a solution to that today that wasn't available back then"

"Oh? So there is hope?" Meredy said trying to show some enthusiasm

"Yes, the Dragon Slayers" Citrine responded proudly

"Wait, how is that any different from 400 years ago? You said yourself that Acnologia was a Dragon Slayer!" Ultear argued

"Acnologia became a Dragon Slayer by use of a Lacrima, as well as nearly all the Slayers of that Era, the concept of Dragon Slaying Magic was still in its infancy. The true power of Slayer magic could only be acquired by humans infused with Dragon Magic as children. In other words those raised by Dragons themselves."

"The First Generation Slayers? Like Natsu?!" Jellal exclaimed

"Yes he is one of the four, but there is much I must do... However, that will be between them and I" Citrine said with some authority to avoid the subject.

"Well I guess I have spoken for a while and clarified the existence of Acnologia and Zeref, Also I guess I explained why Ultear mistook my presence for Zeref's" Citrine said while stretching his arms.

"Well not exactly, why do you feel like Zeref? If you are his opposite wouldn't you feel nothing like him?" Meredy said still confused.

"The reason I feel like Zeref is because we both represent what you call One-Magic. We are not confined to any elements perse and we embody all magic in existence. I am the Yin to his Yang, I'm the Light in the Darkness and Obsidian is the Shadow that cannot exist without the Light.

"Together we maintain the balance, without one reality will be drowned out by the other. Without Me or another Light Pillar in my place, the world would be consumed by Obsidian's darkness becoming nothingness. Additionally without Obsidian or another Dark Pillar My radiance would scorch the world drowning it in the light and ultimately purifying everything into nothingness."

Jellal couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. "So Zeref, no wait, Obsidian is the embodiment of what we could simply term as 'Evil' making you what? Good? Love? Happiness? Seems a touch cheesy..."

"I suppose... But as of right now let's simply look at it as ally and enemy shall we" Citrine said while smiling at the 3 wizards.

"Ok I have one final question?" Ultear asked while staring at Citrine, who gave her a little nod before Ultear followed up with "Why did you come here again?"

"Oh yes... I almost forgot... I need to borrow your time magic, I personally could do it but I'd rather not scare the locals with another Dragon as I gather sufficient energy to tinker with time." Citrine explained while scratching his head.

"Fine... But I would like to avoid crowded places... I'm not exactly a model citizen" Ultear said while putting on a hooded cloak.

"No problem, we just need a relatively central location in town with some elevation" Citrine responds.

Ultear had already deduced that she will be repairing some damage on a large scale but Citrine was the only reason why she is still alive, so she couldn't say no.

"Ok the Arena that the Grand Magic Games was held on is in a relatively central location at least it's elevated we can figure the rest out when we arrive." Ultear said, opening the front door.


	7. Repaying a Debt

Ultear has just agreed to assist Citrine with his promise to repair some of the damage the Dragon Incursion the previous night had produced.

Due to its elevation and line of sigh over the majority of the city, Ultear suggested that they head to the arena grounds used for the Grand Magic Tournament to facilitate their plan.

Half way up the large staircase the hooded pair stopped to survey the area.

* * *

"The Dragons sure did a number on this place" Ultear said with a sigh, she knew how much of a pain it would be to fix, even with her magic.

"Well there is 1 advantage to where we are. It seems no one else is around, so we should be able to get this done relatively quickly." Citrine responds while looking out across the city below.

"It's good to see this place peaceful again, reminds me of my last visit" Citrine said letting out a small sigh towards the end.

This puzzled Ultear a bit especially the reference to 'last visit' "So if you don't mind my asking, what did you do for 400 years" Ultear asked, probing for more information to know her saviour a little more.

"Oh, I guess I skipped over a lot of it..." Answered Citrine, while looking up towards the clouds overhead. "But I did have a family"

"Eh?" Ultear said in completely surprised by the answer given.

"My mortal existence it was a brief moment, travelling to reach my destination in time... But I was extremely happy then" Citrine said as a single tear rolled down his face

"But that's a story for another time" Citrine added as he looked at Ultear who could only look back at him confused but with a feeling of jealousy in her chest.

"But right now we have a job to do" Citrine remarked as he turned to Ultear.

"Ultear... regardless of power requirement, how much of this area do you think you could fix... realistically of course" Citrine asked.

Ultear knew it would come to this so she had been surveying the area as well leading up to the question.

"Well I can repair entire connected sections of damage. So if there was say, an entire street destroyed I could repair that street in a single instance no problem... However, if I wanted to fix say 2 rooms in 2 different buildings on opposite sides of that street I would have to choose one or the other." Ultear responded before quickly adding "At least they would need to be fixed separately."

"So connected sections?... No problem! We can treat the location that each of the Dragons were previously at as separate instances. Any destruction in the area is effectively connected due to the Dragon's body knocking down walls and destroying the road" Citrine responded.

"So 7 dragons 1 of which was in the air 90% of the time, means 6 locations ignoring the gate plateau itself as that was cleaned up earlier by the royal guard. That leaves 5 locations to repair" Citrine nodded agreeing with himself.

"Ok, all we need is line of sight of the locations and from our vantage point here we can see three of the five, so let's start with those first. But we will need to move in order to cover the last two" Ultear said agreeing to the task laid out before her.

Citrine's eyes changed colour from purple to a deep blue as he analysed Ultear. "Your high magical capacity is impressive" he remarked.

"What is the deal with your eyes any, I noticed they were yellow in the house, but while we were walking here they were purple, and now they are blue?" Ultear wondered

"It's my ability as a Dragon, I retained my Dragon Sense for my human body, I'm just used to it really and it is quite practical."

"Right now my Blue eyes allow me to see your complete magical characteristics I can see your time magic capacity as well as the total capacity you have, effectively I'm looking at your mana pool and the way the magic occupies that space" Citrine remarked.

Ultear continuing her query "I see sounds pretty useful, so what's the deal with Purple and Yellow?"

"Purple allows me to see the magical essence in living things, it's a little more general then reading mana and it's more used for tracking when looking for someone or something with a particular type of magic. For example how I found you at that house, your magic is rather unique so it was easy to spot in the city; I simply went to the house where your magical essence emanated from."

"As for Yellow, it is more a combat sight. It allows me to identify weaknesses in something but for the most part the vision is similar to human sight with some enhancements to quality like night vision and also I can magnify my cortex allowing me to essentially zoom in on target locations." Citrine responded but not before adding as a joke "But also because I have yellow hair my yellow eyes make me look cool"

Ultear almost face palmed at the last remark but was satisfied with the answer up to that point.

"OK, what does my high magical capacity have to do with the job?" Ultear said getting back on track.

"Ah, well because we are in such an isolated area I'm going to feed you some magic, but to better do so I'm going to release a few seals on my magic to increase my throughput. If I simply ran with my safe 5% it would take a while to get the task done, but with your rather high capacity you should be able to handle about a 20% release of my seals without too many downsides... but I'll go with 15% as it would be more than enough also it should reduce your nausea." Citrine grinned.

"But before that one quick final range check to ensure no one dies." Citrine's eyes changed back to purple to look for any nearby essence of consequence, the closest being a guard about 200 meters downhill. "OK Coast is clear, guard down the hill will pass out but he will be ok in an hour or so" Citrine innocently exclaimed.

"Ok brace yourself slightly Ultear the initial magical pressure may take some getting used to" Citrine looked over at Ultear hoping all goes well.

"Ok Ready" Ultear said with a small nod

Citrine calmed himself for a few seconds and closed his eyes as he prepared to unlock a few of his seals. Citrine's body was fully engulfed in green fire this was the first time Ultear had witnessed this and couldn't help but be amazed...

But that amazement quickly faded as white lightening began to violently crack around Citrine's position; At the same time a wall of magical pressure struck Ultear suddenly causing her to throw up, she was expecting the pressure but didn't realise the magnitude in spite of Citrine's warning...

A few seconds later the green flames subsided revealing Citrine's form, he stood with his wings extended while lightening arched between them like 2 Teslacoils. Ultear was pretty out of it the first time they met due to disorientation from casting Last Aegis so she had never actually seen this form. Ultear got goose bumps either from Citrine's imposing stature or the simple fact that she wasn't standing far from a human lightening rod.

"Ok let's fix up some of this damage. Oh and I did warn you to brace yourself so it's not my fault you threw up, but that being said you're faring better than the guy laying unconscious down the road." Citrine playfully teased.

"Tch, don't make fun of me" Ultear said with agitation before continuing "Let's get this over with... we should start with the damage near the square, that area seems to be clearly defined"

"Ok, I'm going to feed you my magical power but in order to do that I'm first going to shield you just like last night" as Citrine said this a green shield encased Ultear, Citrine raised his arms placing his open palms onto the shield and closed his eyes.

Soon a white light began to shine from Citrine's palms "Ok ready, start the repair Ultear, I'm counting on you" Citrine calmly said with his eyes remaining closed.

Ultear took a deep breath concentrating on the area, visualizing a cube in her mind encasing her target. A few seconds later bricks and broken tiles began to wiz around at lightning speed in the area; this was much faster than she was used to so it took her a second to compensate.

Ultear began to sweat profusely straining under the pressure, but then she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of calm, all of the strain seeming to vanish completely. At that moment she noticed a flickering light surrounding her, this was more than the slight green hue the shield had created it was like being surrounded by smouldering white embers as they rose around her body. Within a single minute and without even realising it, she had repaired all 3 sections of damage in the distance.

(What... how did? when did I do this) Ultear thought to herself.

Ultear had subconsciously targeted the other 2 sections of damage instinctively. She had never repaired separate sections before simultaneously even though she could repair large area's there was always a connection between the pieces original form.

"Looks like we are done." Citrine said as he returned back to his original human form.

"Huh... Uhh... Yeah I guess we are." Ultear responded still a little surprised.

"Time to head back, thanks for your help Ultear" Citrine smiled

"Wait? What about the other 2 areas?" Ultear said with a confused look on her face.

"But you have already fixed them?" Citrine said while tilting his head slightly to the side, confused by Ultear's question.

Ultear was slightly shocked by this response "But we had not moved, how did we fix the other sections? I don't even know how I fixed the two sections I could see let alone the two I couldn't"

"Don't underestimate yourself, Ultear" Citrine smiled "Due to the nature of your magic your attention to detail is quite remarkable, all it took was a little magical boost and your brain instinctively repaired the city to the one in your memory."

"So that's why you needed my assistance?" Ultear responded.

"Yes. I lacked sufficient knowledge of the city before the destruction, at least information current enough to prevent... conflict... Citrine said this as he looked upwards towards the sky, reaching forward as if trying to grab a cloud.

"Well I'm glad I could help, after all I owed you one" Ultear said with a smile, proud of her accomplishment.

"Think nothing of it Ultear; you still have much to offer the world... Now let's head back" Citrine said while offering forward his hand.

"Yes lets, we best not remain in the open" Ultear responded as the pair started walking back down the stairs away from the Arena area.


	8. Reunion

3 days had passed since the Grand Magic Tournament had come to an end. The King of Fiore had organised a banquet for all the wizards involved in the games as well as those that assisted with the Dragon incursion.

All the wizards were dressed to impress, it's not every day that the King opens his doors to the royal ballroom. But not everyone was happy with this arrangement...

* * *

"The King's really gone the extra mile..." A nobleman said while sipping his brandy perched above the room in his balcony booth.

"Really... Inviting all these ruffians into his own castle..." the lady sitting beside him scoffed, acting as if she was going to be infected with 'poor' by proximity to the wizards enjoying themselves below.

A shadowy outline of a man appearing behind the two responded abruptly "These 'ruffians' deserve more than your condescending opinion. Be thankful, they protected this city where as your money could not."

The woman who was startled by the interruption was lost for words "Tch" was all she could muster before raising her nose to the crowd as she took a sip from her wine glass.

The Shadowy figure having said his piece left the 2 unsuspecting nobles, and continued to walk along the adjoining hallway of the second floor. "I'm nervous? I should be... They probably hate me for what I did." he muttered to himself as he started to slowly paced.

As he continued to fret with himself eventually something caught his eye. It was Natsu hiding behind a curtain near the second floor podium; he seemed to be giggling to himself for no apparent reason.

As the man stopped and stared at Natsu wondering what he could possibly be up to a voice rang in his ears from behind his position.

"Citrine is that you?" The familiar voice asked.

"Princess Hisui..." Citrine said regaining his composure as he turned to face her.

The Princess wearing a magnificent dress adorned with roses looked over Citrine noticing that he seemed quite uncomfortable. "What's the matter?" the princess asked before adding "your outfit is very fitting, you would easily pass for a noble".

"Oh, I'm just not really used to wearing this kind of... fashion" Citrine responded with a small insincere laugh trying to divert attention from the subject.

"Your gown is magnificent your majesty, you look very beautiful" Citrine said this but with a hint of jealousy which puzzled the Princess.

"I'm sorry would you excuse me, I need a drink" Citrine said in a fluster.

Citrine quickly ran off downstairs leaving the Princess who was quite perplexed at what had just transpired.

* * *

"Please try and show some restraint... You are a ghost, after all." Wendy said to an open spot on the floor confusing Chelia who had been enjoying her desert nearby.

(Ghost?) Citrine thought to himself before it clicked (that's right the little spirit I met that night... Mavis I think it was. Wendy can see her?)

Citrine was doing the best job he could to not draw attention to himself as he weaved through the crowd of wizards, his eyes changing to purple to track Mavis. To his surprise this wasn't too difficult as she was currently haunting Chelia for her desert.

Citrine noticed Mavis' fixation on the desert and figured he would try to use one to lure her away to talk.

Citrine took a seat near the edge of the room closest to Mavis before catching her attention with a tiny pulse of his Magical Essence.

Mavis floated down and took a seat next to him, immediately noticing the desert before staring at him with puppy dog eyes behind a thick wall of envy.

"Would you like some Mavis?" Citrine said as he placed his hand out gesturing for Mavis to take it. Mavis took his hand remembering that it helped them to communicate and soon she quickly came into focus for Citrine to see and hear.

"As much as I would love to, I'm unable to eat in this form" Mavis said with a heavy heart as she grumbled "It does look good..."

"I can help you with that if you like? Think of this as my treat" Citrine said as his eyes turned blue feeding a trickle of life force into Mavis through his hand. "It should last about 30 minutes, this is my gift to you" Citrine added with a wide smile before letting go of Mavis' hand.

Mavis had never even considered this as an option. Under normal circumstances it wouldn't be but it's not every day that a Dragon is available.

She timidly reached her hand out for a nearby desert fork and found that she could interact with it, something that she hadn't been able to do for more than a Century. Suddenly Mavis stabbed the jelly like desert in the centre lifting the whole thing before inexplicably fitting it all in her mouth with a single bite, only the golden forks handle was protruding from her lips.

Citrine's eyes widened in shock unable to fathom how she could've done that considering Mavis' small stature.

Mavis' lips munched away at the entire desert in her mouth with very little care for table etiquette.

"Mavis what are you doing?" Exclaimed Mirajane who appeared out of nowhere behind the First Master. However before Mavis could answer Mirajane almost jumped out of her skin as she noticed Citrine was sitting nearby.

"Wait! You're that... from the other night!" Mirajane muttered before confusion set in.

"Wait can you see her?" Mirajane asked Citrine as she tried to process the situation.

"Who is this adorable young lady? I have no memories of this beauty" A man asked joining the conversation.

"Rufus?" Mirajane said now even more confused as she turning to Mavis and Citrine exclaiming "What is going on?!"

"I'm Mavis, hehe, nice to meet you!" Mavis responded with a beaming smile at Rufus.

After Mavis said this she ran off suddenly like a flash towards the desert table. Rufus let out a small chuckle and walked off continuing his rounds as he mingled with others.

"She must really love this" Citrine said with a smile as he watched Mavis stack multiple deserts onto a waiter's silver serving plate she had stolen from somewhere. Eventually Citrine couldn't help but laugh as the sight changed with Wendy joining the fray, confused as to how Mavis was able to move things.

Mavis came running back with the silver tray over her head slamming it down on the table triumphantly next to Citrine as she returned to her original seat and prepared to dig into her plunder.

Wendy having following her back to the table took a seat next to Mavis as she rubbed her hands together before realising Citrine smiling across the table. "CITRINE?!" She exclaimed.

Citrine went stiff and quickly looked around to see if anyone noticed Wendy's outburst, however they seemed to have missed it as another commotion was brewing. He placed his finger over his lips, signifying to Wendy and those present that he was hiding and trying to be quiet, however it didn't seem to matter as the room quickly erupted into a brawl between the guilds in attendance due to a quarrel over Yukino.

Citrine couldn't help but laugh at the commotion seeing that no one had a hint of malice in this conflict but yet all were exuding passion, Mavis also found the sight rather amusing taking a break between deserts to join in with the laughter.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" the familiar voice of Arcadios Shouted while banging the sheath of his sword on the railing like a judge's gavel before shouting "HIS MAJESTY HAS ARRIVED!"

"For your bravery in the Grand Magic Tournament, and for saving this country from mortal danger." he paused a second before continuing "His majesty has come here in person, Let that sink into your very hearts."

The wizards all calmed down heeding Arcadios' words, being inside the palace was a once in a life time opportunity so they quickly fell into line.

The curtains slowly opened to reveal a shadowy figure that proudly stood above the wizards peering down, and then suddenly he lunged forward revealing himself for all to see...

"WHAT'S UP BITCHES!? LET'S CRANK THIS UP A NOTCH! "KAKAKAKAAKKAKAKAKA!"

The crowd of wizards froze in shock losing their colour, they recognised the figure to be that of Natsu Dragneel clad in the Royal Garments and Crown that he had clearly stolen.

"I'M THE KING! HELL YEAH!" Natsu continued to exclaim as the real king hopped furiously behind him lunging for his stolen crown.

The guild leader of FairyTail Makarov seemed to fall apart losing years off his life as he felt a metaphorical wind carry his soul away from the shock. While the remaining FairyTail wizards quickly got over their astonishment, they really couldn't remain surprised, as this was Natsu to a T.

The silence of the crowd was broken however by an incontrollable laugh coming from Citrine at the back of the room drawing the attention of onlookers.

Citrine was in tears at the sight and couldn't hold it back any longer; he had missed human interaction and seeing Natsu's display had broken any walls he had been maintaining in his demeanour for the night.

The baffled crowd of wizards most of who had never seen the man before all turned their attention to him; even Natsu had gotten off his pedestal and stared at the man. However those that had met him on the night of the Dragon incursion were all stunned.

"I'm sorry" Citrine said as he tried to control himself "I would never in my lifetime... Ever imagined to see this sight..." He lost control for a second laughing some more before recomposing himself.

"I guess in the end I can't be overly surprised that it would be Igneel's son." Citrine said with some fondness in his words.

Natsu froze momentarily, before he jumped over the railing so fast that it left the royal garb and crown almost floating in midair on the second floor.

"You know Igneel?" Natsu asked somehow arriving at the table Citrine occupied so quickly that no one had realised he even moved.

Citrine gave a slow nod before saying "Yes I know him"

Natsu couldn't help but sniff the air inquisitively recognising the scent of a Dragon. However he didn't seem too surprised by this instead he asked "Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?" Natsu pleaded with excitement as if his long search had come to an end.

"Unfortunately no... I haven't seen or had contact with him in a very long time" Citrine felt sorry to have to break the news crushing Natsu's dreams.

"Who are you?" Natsu asked having already concluded that he had to be a Dragon but still confused as to why he was looking at a human.

"I'm known as Citrine" He responded calmly, Natsu smiled before quickly saying "Nice to meet you Citrine".

Lucy approached the table having listened intently to the conversation, she felt a little sorry for Natsu not getting the answer he wanted but she was curious about the man before her.

Lucy didn't actually meet Citrine during the Dragon Incursion; she had only briefly been in his presence at the gate moments before it was destroyed, so she still had lingering questions.

"Hello my name is Lucy" Lucy smiled placing her hand forward to greet Citrine; however Citrine seemed to panic and took a small step backwards in fear.

"Huh, did I do something wrong?" Lucy said in confusion.

Those that had met Citrine were shocked by this reaction as well; they knew Citrine's power so they didn't know what to say instead they continued to stare in silence.

Mavis placed a hand on Citrine's shoulder; she could see the turmoil in Citrine's heart as he tried to decide on the best course of action. "It's OK." she said reassuringly as she gestured Citrine to move forward with a small nod.

Citrine looked down as he tried to search for the right words but he was drawing a blank.

"I'm... Sorry..." He said as a tear ran down his face.

"Wh... What? What are you sorry about?" Lucy said in a puzzled manner not understanding the situation hoping to calm Citrine.

"My name is Citrine..." Citrine slowly said with his head still facing downwards.

"However..." Citrine slowly looked up towards Lucy as he did this his eyes turned brown as he made eye contact. The crowd of shocked wizards behind her all looked on curiously.

"However..." Citrine repeated before continuing again "However... some of you may know my other name..." Citrine paused and took one more look at Mavis. Mavis flashed a reassuring smile as she gestured her back towards Lucy.

Without warning, a white light began to enveloped Citrine's body and like heatwaves from a mirage losing focus, the man seemed to fade away, but a figure remained... This one was clearly different as it was that of a Woman, shocking some onlookers, the suit she was wearing seamlessly changed into a golden gown of a noble.

The Woman looked back at the shocked crowd; Lucy had placed her hands over her mouth at this point with her eyes forming tears. A few people were still in absolute shock that a man became a woman in front of their eyes, but those that recognised the figure could only gasp.

"My name is..." Citrine paused a second before continuing "... Layla... Layla Heartfilia"

Lucy through her cupped hands over her mouth, with tears now freely flowing over them whimpered a single shaky word... "Momma?"


	9. Silence Broken

The still young beautiful blonde woman wearing a deep golden coloured gown stood in front of the crowd of wizards, all of them shocked beyond words at this revelation.

* * *

"I'm sorry Lucy... I'm..." Citrine started to say before being interrupted by Lucy who couldn't take it anymore as she lunging towards her in happiness. She wrapped her arms around the mother she lost all those years ago and continued to cry.

Citrine stroked Lucy's head reassuringly as she embraced her daughter from another life.

"YOUR MOM'S A DRAGON?!" Those that knew Citrine exclaimed.

"DRAGON?!" the rest of the crowd exclaimed freaking out.

* * *

Mavis floated over next to Makarov who had his old friend Yajima next to him, she beamed a large smile at the reunion as she had been able to see Layla's female form despite the illusion she clad herself in.

"You knew about this First?" Makarov asked

"Oh Maky, who is your young friend?" Yajima asked noticing Mavis

Makarov froze "Ahhh whaa, hahah no... I was just mumbling to myself... *cough*" He quickly responded in a panic.

"But who is that young lady next to you then?" Yajima asked again thinking that Makarov may have missed the question.

"You can see her?!" Makarov said in shock.

"Teehee, I'm Mavis, Nice to meet you!" Mavis responded as she radiated innocence.

"What... what is the meaning of this first?" Makarov said in confusion snapping out of his stunned pose

"Oh, Citrine helped me for a bit so I could have the yummy cakes" Mavis responded as carefree as ever, Makarov felt years of his life slipping away again.

"Pleasure to meet you young miss. You take care of Maky for me won't you" Yajima calmly said ignoring his friend's reaction to the situation.

Mavis smiled and nodded as her corporeal form faded away; it seemed time was up.

* * *

"Your half Dragon Lucy!?" Natsu staring at Lucy exclaimed as he searched her for physical evidence.

"What? No!" Lucy responded pushing Natsu away from her personal space.

Layla let out a small giggle before saying "No Lucy is human but she is gifted in a sense"

"Gifted?" Lucy said staring at her mother.

"I'll explain everything, but it is a story for only a select few..." Layla said as she stared at all the wizards surrounding them, all eavesdropping.

"Ok shows over people!" Arcadios interjected sensing the mood.

"Lucy, Natsu, Wendy..." Layla said turning to the 3 as they were already nearby.

"Could you please gather Gajeel and Kori, this also concerns them. I'm going to go talk to the King and organise a room upstairs for us to talk I have something you all need to hear."

"Ok we'll get them!" Natsu responded.

Layla walked off towards the staircase leading to the second floor where the King currently resided.

"Who's Kori?" Wendy asked

"Huh oh, I dunno" Natsu responded scratching his head

"You idiot, how are we meant to find someone we don't even know?" Lucy responded.

"Well let's get Gajeel first" Wendy said as the three of them split up to search the room.

* * *

Layla had just finished talking to the King who could still remember her from the Heartfilia group all those years ago, so he was a bit taken back by her un-aged beauty.

"Thank you Toma" Layla said after having acquired a key to one of the second floor rooms, turning back towards the stairs from where she came.

"No Layla, Thank you. I had no idea..." The King Replied with humility.

Layla continued to walk down the second floor hallway without looking back at the King she simply raised her hand and waved in response to his words.

Half way down the hall just before reaching the stairs, Citrine stopped for a moment and smiled before saying "It's been a long time... Grandine"

The shadowy figure of a woman stepped forward into the light in front of Citrine. The woman stared at her for a few seconds as if verifying her identity before smiling and saying "An age, Empress" with a small curtsey.

"Does Wendy know you're here?" Citrine asked wondering how the relationship was between the two, having been out of the loop for so long.

"No, she doesn't know, but I've been keeping an eye on her until she is ready" Grandine responded with some regret.

"I see... I know you're more than capable of making the right choices." Citrine said with respect before adding "But just so you know, I plan to personally aid in there development... The time will soon be upon us, I have no choice but to interfere"

"I understand... I'll be waiting 'there'" Grandine said this as she walked back into the shadows from where she had originated, Citrine continued down the stairs returning to the large hall.

"Over here Momma" Lucy said with a wave towards Layla who just had just re-entered the ballroom's first floor.

Layla approached the group looking at Gajeel the newest arrival; however she noticed that Kori was not among them.

"You couldn't find Kori?" She said confused by her absence.

"I'm sorry; we didn't know who Kori was. We asked all the other guilds here but no one knew of someone with that name" Wendy said apologetically.

"I guess it can't be helped, we'll find her soon." Layla said before turning around to face the stairs "Could you all please come with me".

Lucy and the 3 Dragon Slayers followed Citrine to an upstairs room; Citrine closed the door behind them ensuring it was locked so that no one could interrupt.

"I'd like the 4 of you to follow me" As she said this she raised her hand creating a rift in space. The air in the room rushed around like a weak tornado knocking over various decorative items.

"You want us to what?" the 4 of them exclaimed.

"It's perfectly safe, it's just it can't be done here. This rift leads to a small pocket dimension, think of it like the Celestial Plain." Citrine said hoping to alleviate their stress.

"But the time flow of the Celestial World is 1 day to 3 months, we found this out the hard way when Moustache tricked us into going there." Lucy said but couldn't help but look back fondly on that despite the problems it caused.

"Oh if you're worried about time, this dimension of mine is actually the opposite 3 months in there is only 1 day here." Citrine responded proudly.

The 4 looked at each other and gave a little shrug before they each entered the rift Citrine following immediately behind them. Shortly after all 5 of them had entered the rift closed.


	10. Dimensional Quakes and Seeds of Regret

The 4 wizards were ejected forcefully from the other side of the rift landing onto an open field of green grass, except for Natsu who landed face first into a 5 meter sized piece of Maginium almost knocking him out... Unlike them however Layla calmly walked out of the portal before looking at the 4 wizards laying on the ground.

* * *

Layla paused and smiled before saying "I guess the first time here takes some getting used to"

Layla then turned and started to walk towards what looked like a small log cabin at the base of a nearby mountain covered in trees.

The 4 wizards picked themselves up off the ground, despite what seemed like a violent crash they didn't appear to have any pain or wounds on their body. Wendy raised up her hands in front of her and looked at them as a breeze rushed by with a noticeable blue tinge to it.

The wind seemed to wrap around her hands in a circular fashion before drifting off "Sky Magic?!" Wendy exclaimed as she continued to observe multiple pockets of the blue air dancing around the field.

Natsu turned to Gajeel and quickly exclaimed "Gajeel, quick punch me!"

Gajeel looked at Natsu and couldn't help but think he was an idiot, but quickly grinned "Geehee, sure thing Salamander!" as he said this he hit Natsu in the face with his Iron Dragon Sword.

Natsu snapped back from the force but almost immediately the scuff marks on his cheek vanished as his wounds were healed. "Awesome!" Natsu exclaimed

"Are you 2 insane!" Lucy yelled at the 2 Dragon Slayers for their idiocy. Wendy with her arms crossed nodding in agreeance with Lucy.

Layla let out a small laugh before saying "Yes the Magic here is quite strong. But if you are done could you please follow me, we have a lot to talk about"

The 4 of them quickly caught up to Layla and before long they had reached the cabin. Layla paused some meters away from the cabin which prompted the group to stop and look at her.

"Before we enter I feel that I should show you..." Layla said with a pause as she thought about what was running through her mind.

"What do you mean Momma? Show us what?" Lucy asked with concern.

"... My Dragon Form" Layla said as her eyes turned a fiery yellow.

The 3 Dragon Slayers couldn't help but be excited; however Lucy was a freaked out by her Mother's words.

"I can't normally do this; it's one of the reasons why I brought you here. However, even here I can't safely maintain it for long." Layla said before stopping to look at Natsu, Wendy and Gajeel before adding "Because you 3 are Dragon Slayers you will be safe."

Layla looked back at Lucy "Lucy you have my blood and despite the fact you are very much human your affinity to magic is exceptional"

"What do you mean by that?" Lucy nervously asked.

"Lucy... When you grow up, you may well be the most powerful wizard in Earthland" Layla said with pride in her daughter as she began to walk backwards making space between herself and the 4 humans.

"Please, the 4 of you hold onto something this may be a little... Turbulent" Layla said as she closed her eyes.

The 4 wizards took cover, Natsu held onto a tree stump that looked to be used for chopping wood. Lucy and Wendy took cover behind a bench seat that was bolted to the ground next to the cabin, while Gajeel simply took a few steps back wondering what the fuss was about.

* * *

The air grew thick and began to slowly swirl around Layla as she stood still and concentrated, eventually white sparks could be seen as static electricity formed by the friction in the air swirling around her. Then suddenly and without warning a massive green flame erupted upwards towards the sky creating a giant shockwave as a wall of Magical Pressure was violently pushed out.

Gajeel was thrown back through the air suddenly as the pulses of Magic like walls continued to radiated out from the green maelstrom. Gajeel quickly anchored himself into the ground by extending his arm like a metal spear however he now looked like a flag pole as he flapped about in the wind.

All the blue wind swirling around the fire created what looked like a tornado, that formed from the ground as it grew in height; at the same time a massive arc of white lightening rushed downwards from the sky with the 3 Elements meeting in the centre of the fire about 25meters off the ground.

The 4 wizards clung desperately to their chosen shelter as they all flapped in the Magic pulsating outwards before a blinding white light filled the area and suddenly the turbulence stopped.

The air felt thick almost like they were swimming in a liquid as all 4 of them dropped to the ground. They all quickly readjusted their gaze back towards Layla's original Position, the calamity of elements had ceased but they had to blink a few times to clear the effects from the blinding light.

After a few seconds their eyes eventually regained their focus as they looked upon Layla's new form.

* * *

"MOMMA?!" Lucy exclaimed terrified by the sight.

Wendy was shaking in fear her mouth hanging open as she tried to breath.

Gajeel was sweating abundantly as its magical presence sunk into his core.

Natsu just stood there as he looked on in awe, the lessen taught by Gildarts at Tenrou was being heavily reinforced in his mind as he also couldn't help but shake.

A Golden Dragon, with white lightening arcing violently all over its body was standing before them. It was standing upright like a human on 2 legs; which was different to the Dragons that they had seen in the past.

The Dragon's figure was approximately 50 meters in height substantially larger than the others. It had two massive golden wings, the tops of which extended another 20 meters vertically from its back to up above its head and then easily 50 meters either side of the main body.

Above the head at the tips of each wing there was a continuous arc of white electricity that crossed between the 2. Everything about the form just extruded power.

"I AM CITRINE! THE DRAGON PILLAR OF LIGHT!" Citrine proclaimed as she stared down at the 4 wizards who were frozen in place, green flames escaping her mouth as she spoke the words.

About 10 seconds went by; the 4 wizards just stared at the Dragon Citrine. Natsu however, seemed to be having difficulty holding himself back from running over to the Dragon to pick a fight as he was now excited.

But, just then the ground began to quake violently, as cracks formed all around the green field. Upon seeing this Citrine quickly re-applied all the seals to her power and changed back into her human form of Layla; however she took the time to materialize a less extravagant dress from her pocket storage as well.

Once Citrine was safely back in her human form of Layla, the dimension around her began to repair itself, the cracks in the ground started to slowly fill themselves and the Sky Magic breezes returned to the land.

* * *

Layla approached the group of 4 hoping that they were not too freaked out by what they had just seen.

Natsu who was still ridiculously excited, exclaiming "Lucy your Mom's amazing!"

However Lucy still in shock could only say to herself "That... was Mom?!"

Gajeel and Wendy couldn't help but compare the memories of their Parent Dragons to what they had just seen, very quickly coming to the realization that Citrine was on an entirely different level.

Lucy trying to come to terms with everything asked "Did Papa know?"

Layla couldn't help her eyes from looking down as she thought about her Love Jude who while getting the key to the room, she was told he had recently passed away "No Lucy... Your Father didn't know... Because I was different then... Come inside all of you and I'll explain".

The five of them entered the cabin, however inside despite its outside appearance; it really didn't have any functionality as a living space. There was a single Hexagon shaped table with 6 seats the rest of the room was bare, apart from a small fireplace that crackled with a fire.

"Please take a seat" Layla said as she clapped, instantly all of their clothing changed to more comfortable attire which had a striking resemblance to the Celestial garments provided by the Spirit World when they visited it.

"Don't worry when we leave here all of your formal clothing will be restored" Citrine said reassuring them.

"Before I start, I feel I should first apologise to you all. You may find a lot of my story painful, and I'm sure a particular part of it will make you angry." Layla said with a heavy heart of regret "But please take the time to hear me out in full before judging"

The 3 Dragon Slayers looked at each other before Wendy said "It's ok Citrine... You're the first 'alive' person we have met who can tell us about our parents"

Lucy smiled and placed her hand on top of her Mothers to comfort her "It's ok Momma, you brought us here to talk, if it wasn't important you wouldn't have, so it's only fair we all listen"

The FairyTail wizards all nodded in agreeance, reinforcing Layla's Resolve.

"Wendy, Natsu, Gajeel... How much do you remember of your past, your childhood" Layla asked looking at the 3 Dragon Slayers

"I remember Igneel teaching me how to read and write words, he was kind and taught me Dragon Magic. All happy memories" Natsu replied with a smile.

"It's the same for me with Grandine, she was always kind and loved humans" Wendy replied

"Metalicana was the same, he was tough but loved me, he made me stronger" Gajeel adding his response.

Layla happy with their responses smiled before it was replaced by a serious expression.

Have you heard the term "Dragon King Festival?" Layla asked trying to gauge their current knowledge.

"Wait Dragon King Festival, didn't that Dragon at the graveyard mention this? When Wendy used Milkyway" Lucy exclaimed

"You're right he did mention it, as well as Acnologia" Wendy said as she shivered thinking about Acnologia and the possibility she would become a Dragon

"So this Dragon told you about Acnologia?! Did you get the Dragons name?" Layla asked surprised they had known this much

"It was Zilconis... the Perverted Dragon you knocked unconscious at the gate when I first met you Citrine" Wendy responded

"YOU KNOCKED HIM OUT?" Lucy shouted as she remembered what he did to her, then blushing slightly as she remembered Natsu had seen her naked and groped her.

"I was hoping that idiot didn't use that vile magic of his." Layla sighed before continuing "If he was the one telling the story then whatever he told you is probably wrong."

"He lied to us! I knew he seemed shady" Gajeel remarked

"Ok it seems I need to explain most of it from the beginning... I'm going to tell you about the distant past, when Dragons were the dominant species in Earthland, The following takes place 400 years ago and is the story about the origin of the Dragon Slaying Magic you possess." Layla said

Layla took a deep breath as she prepared to take a trip down memory lane.


	11. Connecting Pieces

The 4 Human wizards stared at Layla, bracing themselves for the long awaited truth.

* * *

"The Dragon King Festival was as a week-long proving stage for Dragons to promote themselves through battle with in their respective Elemental Broods. For example. Fire, Metal, and Wind"

Layla Looked at the 3 slayers as she mentioned their names...

"Your parents, Igneel, Metalicana, and Grandine they are all what we called Royals with in the Dragon hierarchy. They are the Kings and Queen of their respective Elements and under them there is 3 tiers of Dragon Classes that make up their Brood. These were General's, Captain Class, and Soldier Class."

"I knew my Metalicana was special" Gajeel remarked

"Igneel was the King!" Natsu said arguing with Gajeel for some reason to defend Igneel's honor.

"Grandine was a Queen" Wendy gasped

"Wait if there was royalty what does that make a Pillar like You?" Lucy asked almost scared of the answer.

"Empress, I am one half of the apex in Dragon Society..." Layla responded before adding "I was in control of all the Royals under me, effectively I was in charge." Lucy in a flash of vanity started to twinkle with confidence like it was some how her achievement.

"You mention you're half? Does that mean as an Empress you were married to an Emperer?" Wendy asked.

"Married? Ha" Layla scoffed at the idea "No our relationship to each other was nothing like that. The Emporer or more specifically the Dark Dragon Pillar was a Dragon known as Obsidian" Layla gritted her teeth flashing a sign of anger from just the mention of his name.

"As far as you need to know, I ruled one half of the Dragons while Obsidian controlled the other." Layla said to simplify the idea.

"Hey where did my uncle fit in!" Natsu asked excitedly

"Uncle?" Layla responded confused by Natsu's question

"Atlas Flame! My Dragon friend from a few days ago." Natsu said happily clarifying

"Atlas Flame was a Captain in Igneel's Brood, I believe he was the Head Captain who answered directly to Igneel's General." Layla answered

"Good on you Uncle" Natsu happily exclaimed.

Layla gave out a giggle at how innocent Natsu was before continuing.

"The Dragon King Festival" Layla said ensuring she had everyone's undivided attention before proceeding "The Dragon Festival, also had another purpose, it was a proving ground for Adolescent Dragons to make a break into their respective Broods ranks, a right of passage into the Soldier Class"

Layla paused, showing signs of distress knowing what came next.

"The young adolescent Dragons would need to defeat a Human Wizard for their right of passage..."

"WHAT!" the 4 humans yelled.

"What do you mean 'defeat'?" Gajeel said with a raised eyebrow.

"... Kill" Layla said as she started to sob forcing the words "The young Dragon had to prove their superiority to a Magic Touched Human, so they would have to kill them"

"Whats the meaning of this Momma!" Lucy shouted angrily

"Was the Human Wizard a Dragon Slayer?" Natsu asked containing his anger.

Layla wiping the tears from her eyes answered "No... This tradition is what lead to the civil war and ultimately the creation of the Slayers"

The 4 humans calmed down as they listened to Layla's Response.

"The two sides fought over the future for the Humans. My side, which included your parents, wanted to reform the festival structure by vastly improving the power of the humans. To do this I conceived the notion of empowering humans with Dragon Magic creating Dragon Slayers. The idea was that the Humans would survive the festivals and it would also give them a prestigious place with in dragon society for coexistence"

"Wait you created Dragon Slayers?" they exclaimed in shock

"Yes. I created the Core Magic to empower humans with Dragon Magic, I worked with the Kings and Queens of my faction to expand on the template allowing them to each teach their Broods form of Elemental Dragon Slaying Magic. The idea would be that the Human would be more resilient to the Brood in question as well as they could put up a fight using their associated abilities. This would also result in stronger Dragons, it was mutually beneficial and this was my factions goal for the civil war"

"So you and Grandine created Sky Dragon Slayers like me together?" Wendy asked

"That's right Wendy" Layla said with a smile.

"So if that's what you wanted, what about the other guys?" Gajeel bluntly asked.

"The other side... Obsidian's side... wanted no change, to simply continue as it was, he viewed Humans as Insects and believed they existed for his amusement. He would often observe the adolescent Dragon fights for the pleasure of watching the human die."

This added fuel to the fire with the 4 wizards as they each got angry.

"The Dragon Civil War went on for 7 years but it didn't take long for a stalemate to occur, this honestly didn't come as a surprise considering the way Dragon society was structured around balance. Eventually a ceasefire was proposed as the next festival approached."

"Obsidian and his faction agreed to my terms but stipulated that I had to use my Dragon Slayers in the festival to prove their worth. However we were not ready at that time... So I needed to come up with an alternative quickly as this would lead to a resounding victory for my faction; our goals almost achieved."

"It was going to be years before the first slayers were ready there was no way around that, but I couldn't pass up the chance to prove the possibility of the Slayers. My solution was to modify the existing Dragon Slaying Magic creating a potent version that could bypass alot of the prerequisites."

"There was some risk involved and the process would be painful, so I asked for volunteers from sympathetic Humans and their King. They understood that this would improve their way of life and chances of survival, and it was better than having no hope if we failed. The result was the creation of approximately 50 Dragon Slayers using Human volunteers infused with a New Dragon Slayer Lacrima."

"Wait Lacrimas, the Second Generation Slayers like Luxus! Lucy exclaimed

"Dont forget Sting and Rogue the 3rd generation slayers, they have Lacrimas also" Gajeel added.

"Third Generation?" Layla said puzzled.

"We refer to Rogue and Sting from the guild Sabertooth as third generation Slayers. They were raised by Dragons as well as implanted with Lacrima." Wendy said to help clarify.

"When I made the Lacrimas the idea was already something I had already considered for the First Generation Slayers as a right of passage. I had planned to use the Lacrima like a key if you will, to unlock the Dragon Slayers power. So I guess these 'Third Generation Slayers' you are referring to would be considered finished First Generation Slayers. However the humans I met with Lacrima their infusion must have been extremely premature as they all lacked the expected strength"

"Wait, Sting and Rogue are finished First Generation Slayers? Then whats that make us?" Natsu asked seeming pretty upset over the idea

"The Future" Layla said with a smile. "Out of all the Slayers of this time you 3 and Kori are incomplete works in progress, because these other 2 received their Lacrimas prematurely their developement is severely compromised. They may have gained strength from it but now they are effectively capped."

Layla stopped to stare into the eyes of the 3 Dragon Slayers present

"The power you 3 will achieve will surpass Dragons; that is why you are the future."

The Slayers looked at each other Natsu and Gajeel were excited, Wendy however was a little freaked out.

"While we are on the subject of the other Slayers..." Layla pondered

"Do you know the Elements of those two? Sting and Rogue you called them? Better yet the name of the Dragons who raised them?

"Sting said he was Holy or something like that" Natsu responded

"Rogue is Shadow" Gajeel replied

"Hmmm... Skiadrum and Weisslogia are the 2 Kings of those Elements, but they weren't raising Slayers, I guess it was recently... I may need to talk to those Slayers to get in contact with their Dragons! Also to find out why they were given their Lacrimas prematurely" Layla said a little excited at the prospect of regrouping with 2 more of her Royals.

"You can't talk to their Dragons... They said they killed them..." Natsu replied saddened by the subject.

"WHAT!" Layla shouted angrily "Why would they kill them!? Wait a minute how could they kill them...? They lack the power...?"

"That's just what they told us, that their Dragons told them to kill them, to prove their strength as Slayers" Gajeel said

Layla thought about what Gajeel said and the lack of power Sting and Rogue possessed before it dawned on her

"Oh, those idiots! They let themselves die... If they had only held on..." Layla let out a sad sigh.

"Well, of the other 2 Slayers with Lacrima that I met, the Lightening Slayer has potential so I'll help him, However..." Layla frowned before adding "I 'relieved' the Poison Dragon Slayer of his powers, he was unsuitable"

"You removed his powers?!" Wendy exclaimed

"You can do that?" Lucy said surprised

"Yes" As Layla said this she retrieved the Lacrima from her storage space, showing it to the 4 wizards as proof. All of them stared at the Purple Gem in Layla's hand before she added.

"That Man's heart had too much darkness to leave him with Dragon Powers, luckily his mastery of it was extremely poor or he could've done significantly more damage" Layla then placed the Lacrima back into her storage.

Wendy, Gajeel, Lucy, and Natsu all looked at each other as they all thought the same thing (Cobra must be pissed)

"Well moving on" Layla said with a smile dismissing everything "Now where did we leave off in my story"

"You had just made 50 slayers with Lacrima" Gajeel replied, the other 3 stared at him wondering how he remembered...

Layla took a breath knowing that the next part of her story was going to be some of the most difficult to say...

"The 50 newly empowered Dragon Slayers were ready for the festival and things were looking good for us. Despite the Dragon Slayers being much weaker than my desired goal, they were still considerably stronger than regular human wizards so it was a small victory no matter which way you cut it... But... This was when Obsidian made his move..."


	12. Betrayal and Fallout

Wendy, Gajeel, Natsu, and Lucy sat around a hexagon table as Layla explained the story of the original Dragon Slayers from 400 years ago.

* * *

Layla paused gritting her teeth as she prepared to continue

"Zeref, this was when Obsidian made Zeref"

"WHAT!" they all exclaimed

"What do you mean MADE Zeref, how does Zeref fit into this?!" Natsu shouted

"You know Zeref?!" Layla said shocked.

"Know him? I met the guy, he tried to hurt my friends, but then he cried for some reason?" Natsu said scratching his head

"HE CRIED?" Layla was shocked by this but then flashed a slightly evil grin "Good!"

"Oh yeah, then he attacked me with a Black Wave or something and ruined Igneel's scarf, he made it go black! I had to change my outfit and everything!" Natsu rambled to himself as Layla looked at him confused.

"Then I fixed it!" Wendy exclaimed in triumphant

"Zeref" Layla said gritting her teeth seething in anger as the cabin began to shake. Layla quickly realised what she was doing and calmed down, the 4 humans couldn't help but feel worried.

"I'm sorry for that, its just that Zeref isn't who you think." Layla said calming down before slowly saying with seriousness in her voice "Zeref... IS... Obsidian"

"Wait isn't Obsidian the name of that other Pillar!" Lucy said in shock

"HE'S A DRAGON?!" Wendy, Natsu, and Gajeel shouted

"No, Zeref himself is the human form of Obsidian but he is human... he is similiar to what I was when I had you Lucy" Layla said turning to Lucy.

"As Pillars Obsidian and I can split ourselves apart into multiple weaker vessels housing our essence, Zeref represents about 70% of Obsidian's power as well as his immortality but he retains none of his dragon form."

"Right now I'm 100%. I can turn completely back into a dragon as I had shown you outside, Zeref is unable to do this."

"So if Zeref is only 70% of obsidian does that mean right now your more powerful momma?" Lucy asked, starting to just accept who her mother really is

"Yes, my power is equal to Obsidian's in every way, so while he represents 70% I am 30% stronger"

"Wow, you're amazing Lucy's Mom! you should fight Gildarts!" Natsu exclaimed.

(You're and idiot Salamander) Gajeel thought as he face palmed.

Layla let out a small laugh at this, it helped her get the will to continue her story.

"Okay back to my story, as I said 50 slayers had been made for the festival which was to prove their worth. but then Obsidian made Zeref..."

"I had previously told you that Obsidian split his being into 2, by creating Zeref with 70% of his power. Well that remaining 30%, unbeknownst to me at the time, he further split it into another 30 creating demons called 'shades', he then used these to... Infect, a large portion of my newly created Dragon Slayers."

"When the Dragon Festival had started Obsidian approached me in his new human form trying to prove to me that he was accepting humans enough to become one. He told me that his human would represent 10% of his being leaving his dragon form at 90% to continue to rule over his broods."

"At face value this works fine so I just dismissed it, normally I wouldn't care what he did so I just thought he was honestly trying to understand the humans and choose to see the world through their eyes."

"But I was deceived..."

"When the Adolescent Trails started the Dragon Slayers killed the younger Dragons... All of them..."

"This lead to an uproar even some of my own faction began to question how I could let this happen. It wasn't uncommon for the weak to perish it was never 100% for the human to lose, that's the point of the festival to weed out the weak, but it had never been this one-sided in the human's favour."

"In the end, as far as everyone was concerned, almost 100 whelps, an entire generation, wiped out at the hands of MY Dragon Slayers." Layla couldn't help but weep a little in sadness despite her anger at the situation as a whole.

"It's ok momma, you said you couldn't have known" Lucy said as she comforted Layla taking her hand. Layla wiped the tears from her eyes with the other hand and continued.

"Obsidian used this to gain support claiming that we were handing too much power to the Humans, citing the Festival's results as proof. But I couldn't accept it as the Dragon Slayers shouldn't have been strong enough to obliterate the younger dragons like they did. But as the incident was fresh and I was unable to dispute the claims at the time I was forced to accept the scrutiny of my peers."

"Obsidian proposed a solution to the incident, a form of punishment for the Slayers involved in the killing to appease the Dragon Broods. The 30 Dragon Slayers involved would battle each other with only the victor being allowed to survive as a reward."

"A savage battle royale was organised, but as the fight unfolded it was only then that I understood what Obsidian had done, and how the unprecedented slaughter of the adolescents had happened."

"As one of the humans was killed I watched as his magical essence, his power, divided equally amongst the surviving Slayers, this wasn't part of the Dragon Slaying Magic I created!"

"That's when I realised that Obsidian had split into fragments and not retained his 90% form as he originally claimed, instead he had possessed the Dragon Slayers! I was furious! Before the fight had even finished we Dragons went back to war as Obsidian's actions were a direct violation of the ceasefire."

"The battle royale of the Slayers however continued, eventually concluding while the Dragons fought in the skies above. Out of all the slayers I made with that Lacrima one of them was above the rest, even before I made the Dragon Slayers I considered him a friend and he may have even been the driving force behind my thoughts for human rights and coexistence."

"His affiliation with me also empowered him with the other humans. He became a symbol of hope, and he was eventually crowned their King... The victor of the Dragon Slayers incident... His name was Acnologia..."

"So that's why that Dragon that attacked us was so powerful" Gajeel said.

"Zilconis told us that Acnologia was a Human, so it seems at least that part wasn't a lie, but he said Dragon Slayers turn into Dragons if they keep using their power." Wendy said with fear.

"And that's why Zilconis is an idiot!" Layla said angrily defending her magic from baseless slander. "Spreading lies about Dragon Slayers, he is just someone that believed Obsidian's lies over the whelp killing."

Layla took a deep breath before continuing her story.

"With Civil War now once again in full swing because of Obsidian's betrayal, the real horror was yet to be realised. Acnologia joined the fight as the Human King and leader of the remaining 20 Dragon Slayers. Using the combined 30% power he had now obtained by killing the other 29 Infected Slayers he was able to battle toe to toe even with Royal Dragons."

"But the real problem come from the nature of Obsidians power... when Acnologia killed a Dragon he would gain a tiny yet tangible chunk of the vanquished Dragons power through a Vampiric Ability if you will, so Obsidian started to use his own faction's soldiers to empower Acnologia."

"Acnologia defeated a substantial chunk of Obsidian's forces, which tipped the scales of the conflict heavily in our favour, but just as we thought the end was in sight... that's when Obsidian blurred the lines..."

"Using the 30% of his essence that he had pooled in Acnologia, he asserted control over his mind. Acnologia was driven mad by Obsidian and soon came to view all Dragons as the enemy and without warning he turned on us."

Tears welled up in Layla's eyes as she continued her nightmarish story

"But the final straw was when he realised it wasn't just the Dragons he could consume the power of, it was anyone that possessed Dragon Magic including the remaining 20 Dragon Slayers who had been fighting by his side."

"It didn't take him long to kill the other Dragon Slayers but in his madness and under the influence of Obsidian he turned on any human. Acnologia up until that point had lead them through countless victories as Commander and King, yet he turned on them all..."

"Over time, Acnologia's body warped to accommodate all the power he was stealing through Obsidian's vampirism, eventually becoming a Black Dragon himself."

Layla started to weep the story was opening up too many old scars, but it had to be told.

"That's just like that Future Rogue!" Natsu interrupted

"WHAT!" Layla stared at Natsu in shock before asking "What do you mean 'just like'?"

"He killed Sting and took his Dragon Slayer powers in the future, he had both Shadow and Holy." Natsu said as he clearly recalled Future Rogue's power.

"That shouldn't be possible, it's not a Dragon Slayer Ability, he must've been touched by Obsidian, it's the only way" Layla responded.

"Future Rogue said the shadows were coming for him, that they always had been" Natsu responded.

"That could mean that it is one of Obsidians Shades a fragment of his being! If that's the case and Rogue has already been infected, he is in serious danger, we will have to rid him of Obsidians hold before its too late!" Layla exclaimed slightly in panic as she couldn't bare to see it happen again now.

"Rogue himself said that he didn't give into the Shadow for another year, only when Frosch died did he turn." Natsu said trying to calm Layla's nerves.

"We have time... that's good, we will have to deal with this Rogue when we are done here" Layla said looking at the 4 Fairy Tail Wizards.

The 4 of them gave her a reassuring nod.

Layla stopped, as she had been speaking for a while now and wanted to gauge the feelings of those around her.

"That's the story of Obsidian's betrayal, the reason for the Dragon Civil War and The Origin of the Dragon Slaying Magic..." Layla announced before adding "Do any of you have any questions before I continue?"

"I have one question" Wendy said raising her hand. Layla looked at her with a smile "Yes?"

"Do you know where our parents are now?, and what happened to them on July 7th x777?"

Layla paused for a moment... before considering how to answer the question, as it would lead to more questions that she would have to explain...

"Yes... but..." Layla responded, as All 3 Dragon Slayers gasped at her response.


	13. The Choices Made

The 3 Dragon Slayers eye's were wide at the mention of their Dragons, they all leant into the table waiting on baited breath for any information Layla could provide.

* * *

"Your question is in 2 parts, but in reality there is more that you are currently unaware of specifically the year X777" Layla said before taking a more strict approach.

"I'm going to break out some parts of the question and give you as much information as I can" Layla said staring into the eyes of the 3, Lucy had a smile knowing that this is what they had been waiting for but behind the smile the year X777 haunted her.

"Firstly: Your Dragons Today." Layla paused as her eyes fixated on Wendy's.

Wendy noticing this said "me?" as she pointed to herself.

"Grandine, I can confirm she is alive and well." as Layla said this Wendy started to cry tears of happiness.

"As for Igneel and Metalicana... I'm yet to make contact with them, but I know they are both too stubborn to die. Sorry I cant be more specific at this point regarding them."

Natsu and Gajeel slumped over depressed, but both were happy for Wendy.

"Secondly, X777... This year holds significance for all 4 of you, however I firstly want to know what you think happened, Natsu"

"Huh me? It's the year dad vanished, I went to sleep next to Igneel but when I woke up he was gone." Natsu responded still depressed.

"Would I be correct in saying that all 3 of you recall the events as the same? you went to sleep next to your Dragons and when you awoke they were gone?" Layla said looking at the other 2

"Thats exactly how it happened with Metalicana" Gajeel said propping himself up in his chair.

"Grandine was the same, but you have already said she is alive" Wendy added.

"Ok... Your assumptions are reasonable, considering the information you have as well as the fact all 3 of you were asleep at the time. However... your Dragons didn't disappear on July 7th..."

"...You appeared" Layla said, pausing to let it sink in.

"What do you mean they didn't disappear!? We couldn't find em!" Natsu said confused

"We appeared?" Wendy said confused

"From where?" Gajeel added to wendy's question

"From 400 years ago, I brought you with me" Layla responded.

"The Hell!" Gajeel said standing up from out of his chair.

Lucy upon hearing her mother's words felt a heavy weight pressing down on her, she couldn't shake the fear, but she couldn't bring herself to ask... she sat there trembling

Layla looked at Lucy, she could see the turmoil and knew what she was thinking.

"Lucy... You know now... Don't you... Why I had to go..." Layla said with a heavy heart.

"I didn't want you to go Momma!" Lucy burst into tears as she said this. "Why did you leave me alone!" She yelled as she continued to cry.

"I'm sorry Lucy, it was the hardest day of my life, and I have had to live knowing the truth for 14 years" Layla said shamefully.

"Well I don't get it?" Natus said completely missing the point.

"YOU IDIOT SALAMANDER!" Gajeel yelled as he had pieced it together.

"What?" Natsu said still clueless

"She died..." Wendy said covering her mouth, before yelling "SHE DIED FOR US!" Wendy's eyes welled up with tears. "Lucy lost her mom for us" Wendy began to cry also.

"Yes..." Layla said before continuing "When opening the door... my human self died."

Layla got up out of her chair and walked over to Lucy before crouching down beside her, she looked up at her daughters tear filled face.

"It took me 14 years to come back to you, please don't cry... I don't want to ever be the source of your tears again" Layla said as her own eyes welled up

Layla stood up next to Lucy who was still sobbing in her chair, she pulled Lucy's head in towards her chest and comforted her as she continued to speak.

"I never planned for this to happen. When I created Layla. She was originally meant to be my anchor in Earthland while I waited with the Dragon Slayers in the Celestial Plain."

Layla let out a smile as she began to additionally stroke Lucy's hair."But I fell in love, something I didn't think possible, but it seemed my human form was too human."

Layla let out a small laugh and shook her head "But I don't regret it, in fact the memories I have as a human with you and your father, are some of the happiest times of my existence."

Lucy stopped crying, she couldn't hold it against her mother, she understood the position Layla was in. She continued to take comfort in her mother's arms, The 3 Dragon Slayers smiled as they looked on ensuring not to interrupt.

Layla took a step back gently placing her hands on Lucy's shoulders as she looked into her daughters eyes "Although I was left with no choice but to leave you, I feel that when you hear why, you will begin to understand, and one day come to forgive my actions."

Layla walked back to her chair and sat down, taking a deep breath as she wiped her own tears from her eyes.

"If you're saying we are from the past? Why bring us here?" Gajeel asked with some seriousness sensing the stability in the mood.

Layla nodded before continuing her story. "When Obsidian tricked me as Zeref, and Acnologia was rampaging through the country destroying Dragon Soldiers, I assembled my royal court."

"I informed them of everything. The nature of Obsidian's division of his Essence, about how his human self, Zeref, contained the majority share of his power. Why we had resumed the war due to the possession of the Dragon Slayers, and how Obsidian's Battle Royale resulted in the accumulation of his remaining power with in Acnologia."

"Because I was unable to personally be involved in the conflict against either Zeref or Acnologia itself, it meant that dealing with either of the 2 would be extremely difficult if not impossible with the remaining forces we had."

"The best option was for Obsidian himself to stop Acnologia. But Obsidian as Zeref was not interested, in fact he was enjoying himself too much with the war and the entertainment Acnologia in his madness provided for him, with his essence possessing Acnologia, this allowed him to experience the carnage first hand."

"With negotiation off the table, the final option then fell to you Dragon Slayers and the power you would come to wield. You 3 and Kori are the solution to Acnologia and Zeref, as you alone possess the means to stop both with out any negative repercussions.

"Wait why are we the only ones that can do it? Why cant you?" Natsu said confused but also a little excited at the idea of beating Acnologia.

"The problem is my position as the Light Pillar while he occupies that of the Dark Pillar. In the event that I was to kill Zeref or Acnologia, I would inherit their power."

"Inherit his power? But that means you will be Stronger!" Natsu said even more excited with the idea.

Layla shook her head as she explained

"My body is already at its limit and I can hardly contain my own power. If I was forced to add Obsidians power on top of mine, it would result in the destruction of Earthland. You have seen my form and power, you saw the land quake and break apart with just my presence, imagine if I had twice that and no way to stop it."

"AWESOME!" Natsu proclaimed.

"NO ITS NOT YOU IDIOT!" Lucy said as she slapped Natsu on the back of the head

"So why did we come to the future then if we are really from the past? Why couldn't we stop them back then?" Wendy asked

There were 2 reasons I brought you to the future, the first one was to punish Obsidian. With me gone and you Dragon Slayers gone with me, Obsidian was trapped as Zeref in his human form forcing him to experience the life he had so casually dismissed as insects. A punishment my royals and I agreed was most fitting.

"The fact that Natsu said Zeref cried makes me think this was a success." Layla proudly proclaimed

"The second reason was Acnologia, His destruction was too widespread, and it was only a matter of time until he found the Royals guarding you."

"Firstly I'll say for the record, not one of your Dragons wanted to part with you and I did not want to take you by force either. It was always my intention for you to be close with your Dragons, but with a heavy heart they all eventually conceded to my plan."

Layla turned and stared at Natsu "Also for the record, Natsu. Igneel was willing to challenge me for my position as the Light Pillar over you. However he eventually backed down only because he didn't want to deal with balancing the One-Magic."

"Way to go Dad! Wait One-Magic? Wasn't that what Hades was rambling about, that's right Lucy you said your Mom said something about it!" Natsu pointed at Layla and gasped for some reason only just now connecting the dots.

"Natsu sometimes you hurt my brain" Lucy said not sure if to feel sorry for Natsu or angry. Wendy and Gajeel both tear dropped at his stupidity.

"Anyway" Layla said trying to drag the conversation back on track...

"The 4 royals Igneel, Metalicana, Grandine, and Saphira for Kori, when you had gone to sleep all cast Stasis Magic on you via a spell I provided them; this way you wouldn't wake up as they brought you all to me."

"I opened a Doorway to the Celestial Realm and spoke to the Spirit King, and he provided you Slayers and I sanctuary. This had the added bonus of also providing the means to move rapidly forward in time because of the time flow with in the Celestial Realm."

"The Celestial King, hid us with in an unused section of the Zodiac Plane, residing between Scorpio and Sagittarius. As it was off centre enough to not be part of the 12 gates we were able to conceal our existence.

In exchange for passage, I created a Dragon based Celestial Spirit to act as a guard to the Celestial realm, and his name was Ophiuchus. During our 4 year trip, which was 400 years in Earthland time, I let what power I could not contain spill out into his domain.

"The 13th gate! Yukino has!" Lucy Exclaimed in shock "YOU MADE THAT!?"

"That giant snake thing?" the others all said in unison

"Yes" Layla said proudly before adding "But if he only showed up as a snake it means the Celestial Mage with the key lacks the power to bring out his true form. But that's not really surprising."

"Wow that thing can get stronger?... That's a little scary Mom" Lucy said shuddering at the idea

"What's wrong with him? In fact he is quite a friendly spirit once you get to know him! He is just very protective." Layla giggled "The Spirit King was quite taken with him"

Layla took a deep breath as she neared the end of her story.

"I kept you Dragon Slayers in stasis during our 400 year journey inside Celestial Realm. But After about 4 years I split my essence leaving all of my Dragon being and 50% of my power in the celestial realm to guard you Slayers with Ophiuchus, and created my human form Layla who, with the Spirit King's help, I returned to Earthland to see what had become of it."

"Because of my close ties with the Celestial King and ultimately the duty of my human self to open the door to Ophiuchus when the time was right, I become a Celestial Mage. I Eventually even gained 3 more Zodiac Keys, Aquarius, Cancer, and Capricorn.

"I had a close relationship with my spirits, having resided in the Celestial World for so long, I could not see them as anything other then my friends. Over time my human self and emotions matured, seeking more interaction. By the time I met Jude I couldn't help but fall in love."

"After having you Lucy, I found it difficult to focus on my original goal. I wanted to be with you forever but it wouldn't have been fair to Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy and Kori who had been asleep for so long."

"Each year as the constellation of Ophiuchus passed in the sky I would keep tabs with my Dragon Self in the Celestial Plain. Eventually we agreed that the world was safe for the Slayers to return..."

"I distributed my 3 Zodiac Keys to 3 of my attendants, but made a deal with each of them that should you become a Celestial Mage yourself Lucy, that they would always protect you; which I'm glad to see they honoured my contract" Layla wiped a tear from her eye.

"I used a story of failing health as to why I was passing the keys, in reality I was preparing to open 5 celestial doorways to Ophiuchus. The 5 doorways would be seperated far enough apart to increase the Slayers survival rate."

"I settled on the 7th of July X777, this was quite practical as a lunar eclipse was forecast for the time which boosted my Celestial magic, something I needed in order to summon the other half of my 50% form.

"You opened 5 celestial gates at once?" Lucy said with surprise as she could only safely manage 2 currently.

"Yes, but you will be capable of more soon..." Layla said before deciding to put it into perspective "You should be able to maintain 6 Zodiac Spirits at the same time, with sufficient power to cast Urano Metoria."

"Is that good?" Natsu asked

"Seriously, do you even hear yourself" Gajeel said angrily staring at Natsu.

"Amazing" Wendy exclaimed at the thought

"When July 7th came around, I opened the gateway to Ophiuchus in 4 different locations remotely while my dragon self removed the stasis on you Slayers sending each of you through a different gate, and then opened a final gateway at my position before coming through myself..."

"However... The strain of opening the gate for my Dragon Self proved to be too much for my human body to sustain and eventually I collapsed under the weight of my own Magical Pressure."

Layla signed but then shook her head before continuing.

"If I had created my human form of Layla with immortality, like what Obsidian had done with Zeref, I would not have aged and I would've also avoided my inevitable demise. But, despite eventually leading to my death as a mortal, I had no regrets in my choice to forgo immortality."

Layla stared lovingly into Lucy's eyes from across the table and smiled.

"I was able to enjoy growing up as a human, and all the experiences that it brought. I was able to genuinely fall in love, and most importantly... It also allowed me to have you Lucy... As an immortal being I would not have been capable, that alone was enough.

"Oh Momma..." Lucy's eyes welled up with tears as she realised just how much she was truly loved.


	14. Back to the World

Lucy wept as her mother Layla finished explaining the choices of her actions. She had now realised that through her mothers choices to experience a true human existence she was able to be born.

The Dragon Slayers were also coming to terms with the fact they had been brought to the future from the long distant past as they try to figure out how they fit in to everything.

* * *

"Thank you, Momma. I understand now why you had to go away." Lucy said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"So where do we go from here?" Gajeel asked

"Ultimately defeating Obsidian is our goal, his actions 400 years ago made it abundantly clear that his time has passed. Although I personally cannot aid in combat... I can, however assist in your development, allowing you to achieve the power I planned for you, all those years ago." Layla responded.

"I'm fired up!" Natsu proclaimed standing up from his chair with a clenched burning fist.

"Developing you all will take time, we can use this dimension to get around the normal flow, however we do not want to stay here too long. The rift I opened back in the palace will be slowly closing and after about 2 hours it will be completely closed." Layla announced.

"2 hours!" Lucy exclaimed "but we have already been here atleast 6!" the 4 humans all began to freak out.

"You promised us this was safe!" Gajeel angrily said

"Are we going to be stuck here forever?" Wendy said shaking in fear.

"Don't panic, although it has been 6 hours here, it has only been 4 minutes in Earthland" Layla said smiling before explaining "Remember I told you this place was the opposite of the Celestial Realm. it's 3 months here to 1 day in Earthland"

All 4 wizards calmed down knowing they weren't in any imminent danger.

"So just to make it clear, I said the rift takes about 2 hours to close that means the maximum amount of time we can safely be inside here, is a little over one week but we can draw the line at 6 days to be safe" Layla gave a reassuring smile to the group.

"Oh, well then this place really is amazing for training we can get 6 days of training into 2 hours!" Natsu said excitedly

"Yes, It's the reason I made this dimension to give you a place to train without interfering with your Earthland Lives" Layla said reassuringly.

"But for now we best return to the party, although its only been 4 minutes since we left, im sure someone is probably trying to snoop"

As Layla said this she stood up from the table, the other 4 wizards all followed her lead and stood up.

"It's a shame Kori wasn't with us. It would have been easier to explain it all at once." Layla said with a small sigh

"Oh yeah who is Kori, obviously she is another Dragon Slayer, but what is her power?" Lucy asked

"Kori is slightly unique, her Dragon Saphira is a combination of 2 Elements, Water and Ice" Layla responded.

"Another Gray!" Natsu exclaimed.

(I hope they aren't also a pervert) both Lucy and Wendy thought to themselves.

"What gives how come they get 2 Elements" Gajeel said slightly jealous.

"Water and Ice really can't function well with any other Elements, but they are closely paired. However..." As layla said this her eyes turned a deep blue as she stared at bother Natsu and Gajeel

"Why are you complaining mister Shadow Iron Dragon Slayer?" Layla said this giving a playful smile.

Natsu raised his hand and opened his mouth but before he could say anything.

"And before you try anything Natsu I can see that lightening" Layla quickly cut him off.

Natsu shut his mouth and crossed his arms as he pouted.

Wendy giggled but couldn't help but wonder what she could gain.

"Holy" Layla said for apparently no reason.

All 4 of the wizards looked at Layla in confusion before Wendy realised Layla was staring at her.

"Holy?" Wendy responded as she pointed at herself.

"I figured because of the topic you were probably wondering what your next closest Element was for compatibility" Layla smiled before adding "It's Holy, as Wind purifies, Holy cleanses"

Wendy smiled with a look of excitement in her eyes.

"Well we should all get back, I would like to meet the 2 people you mentioned earlier Rogue and Yukino." Layla said as she walked towards the door stopping for a moment.

"We must speak to Sting the Holy Dragon Slayer as soon as possible" As she said this she opened the door to the cabin prompting the others to follow her outside.

The group of 5 slowly made their way back to where they entered, the Maginium pile made it easy to spot in the green field of grass

"Are you concerned about the Shadow, Natsu mentioned Momma?" Lucy asked Layla as they walked.

"Yes, if what Natsu has told us is true, and the 'Shadow' is talking to Rogue, then this would be a demon known as a Shade" Layla responded, the 4 wizards all gasped

"A Demon! like that Deloria and Lullaby thing!?" Natsu shouted

"Yes, Obsidian's speciality was creating Demon's, he was quite fond of their destructive nature and ability to incite fear." Layla said showing a hint of anger.

"Explains Zeref's facination with them also, seeing as he is Obsidian" Wendy said.

"This Obsidian guy is really starting to piss me off" Gajeel exclaimed as he punched his fist into an open palm.

"We best find the Holy Dragon Slayer first. If it is a regular Shade I can vanquish it, however if it is Obsidian, The Holy Slayers Magic is best suited for the task."

As she finished saying this they had reached the Maginium pile in the green field and prepared to return back to Earthland.

"Almost forgot" Layla exclaimed before she quickly clapped changing the attire of the group back to their formal wear herself included.

"What's the deal with that metal over there" Gajeel asked pointing at the chunk of Maginium before licking his lips and saying "It looks good..."

Layla giggled before responding "Please don't eat that... It was an expensive... 'gift' from the King" She said this with a smile.

"What do you plan to do with it?" Gajeel asked as he curiously stared at it.

"I plan to make something with it... 400 years ago I would never have done this, but now..." Layla said pausing.

The 4 Wizards all looked at her curiously raising eyebrows before Layla continued.

"I'm thinking about making some armor and weapons to help against Obsidian" Layla said with a sigh.

"Armor and Weapons?" the 4 said looking at each other.

"I'm sure Erza would be excited!" Natsu said

"Erza? Is that a member of your guild?" Layla asked as she hadn't decided who to give them to yet.

"Yes Erza is an S-Class wizard in our guild" Lucy proudly responded before adding "And she is probably the only person who can control Natsu and Gray when they are fighting" Lucy sighed

"Hmm she can control the Son of Igneel?" Layla stared at Natsu who was frowning at the thought.

Layla smiled "I like her already! I guess I'll have to talk to her about it."

"Well lets get back shall we, we must find Sting as soon as possible." As Layla said this she raised her right arm up and the rift they had entered through re-opened nearby.

With a Nod the 4 wizards all jumped through the rift, however Layla stopped and looked back at the Maginium.

Layla let out a sigh "It's the only way..."

Layla lowered her head in sadness then slowly walked through the rift back to Earthland.

As Layla exited the portal she looked around at the other 4 wizards who were all standing around her, Lucy frowned noticing the sadness in her Mother's eyes but chose to not say anything.

"Hmm this place is a mess, I'm sure the King would complain if I left it like this" Layla said as she raised her hand which was enveloped by a noticeable white glow, and with in seconds all the books and paintings in the room returned to their original locations and mint condition.

"Wow that's kinda like Ult..." Natsu started to say before he quickly interrupted himself covering his mouth.

"Yes this is Timeark Magic Natsu, I know the one you were about to mention... She cast a very powerful form of Time Magic during the Dragon Incursion reversing time over the entire city by 1 minute... It was a remarkable feat for a human... But unfortunately it cost her her life." Layla said

"She died?!" Lucy said covering her mouth in shock.

"No. Luckily for her when it occurred, I immediately knew what had been done. I was able to reach her before the negative effects of that spell could take hold... However the life she spent I was unable to return. My only option was to give her a tiny bit of my own life force to fill the void she had created. She will have about another 10 years before it expires" Layla responded reassuringly.

"10 years is a tiny bit?" Wendy said relising that she wasn't much older then that

Layla Smiled "Well I am immortal remember. But enough about any of that, please find and bring Sting to me as soon as possible, I'm going to go return the room key to the King."

The 4 wizards all nodded as they exited the room.


	15. To Catch a Shadow

Layla had left to return the room key to the King, sending Lucy, Natus, Gajeel, and Wendy off to find Sting in the crowd of wizards.

The 4 of them decided to split up to cover ground faster.

* * *

"'ey goodsh lockun, Wha brinss yoo 'ere" An extremely drunk man asked

"Shaddup!... 'ere not frens. Yuknos Mine" An extremely drunk woman responded

"Kug.. kugya.. ura.. w'y ya gon be lyk dat" the extremely drunk man responded

"imm not gona arguu wit ya Stung" the extremely drunk Kugura responded

"whaaaa, dis nut bout yukno, eyes fink I lubs ya" an extremely drunk Sting confessed

"waaaa... ish ya talks bowt" the extremely drunk Kugura responded as she blinked each eye individually.

"Oi Sting!" Gajeel interrupted arriving on the scene before quickly covering his nose with his sleeve adding "What the hell have you been drinking while we were gone" (I thought it had only been 5 or 10 minutes since we left) Gajeel thought to himself.

"S'lmander, ish dat yoo" the extremely drunk Sting responded

"OK I've heard enough" Gajeel said before punching Sting in the face putting him to sleep.

Gajeel picked Sting up, throwing him over his shoulder before turning to Kagura "Sorry Ladies, I'm going to be borrowing this Idiot"

"ppfftt g'jel lyks mens" an extremely drunk Kugura responded with an attempted snickering which caused her to lose her breath and balance, banging her head on the table in front of her.

"Grrr I'm resisting the urge to smack you, but I don't hit Women" Gajeel responded gritting his teeth.

"ahhhaaah y'air yoo duns lyk tuch wa'mens hahaaahhhhh errrrrr" Kagura said as she passed out on the table.

"The hell is wrong with you people" Gajeel exclaimed as he walked off with Sting over his shoulder.

* * *

"Gajeel, you found him?" Lucy said before covering her nose with her arm "Oh god what is that" She exclaimed

"I found 'Rummy' here with Kagura who seemed to be equally wasted. In the end it was faster to bring him with me like this" Gajeel responded annoyed.

"Well hopefully Wendy can fix this" Lucy said as she walked with Gajeel.

Lucy spotting Wendy waved as she called out "Wendy over here, we found him".

Wendy quickly regrouped with Lucy, Natsu overhearing Lucy's call also rejoined the group as well. Both of them immediately covered their noses with their arms.

"We know" Gajeel said as he carried Sting towards the stairs that Layla would come down and Luckily for the 4 wizards Gajeel was right. Layla came down the stairs at that moment and looked at the group with an unconscious Sting as she raised an eyebrow.

"Please don't tell me this is Sting..." Layla said as she persevered through the smell as her eyes slightly watered.

"Seriously what did this guy drink" Natsu said

"Do you or Wendy happen to have a spell to fix this?" Lucy asked still shielding her face.

Gajeel placed sting down on the ground between the 5 of them, for some reason Sting started laughing sporadically in his sleep as he mumbled nonsensical garbage.

"Wendy can using Troia followed by her Sky Dragon Healing. I'm not touching him" Layla said as she shielded her face with her arm trying not to vomit.

"Why only me!" Wendy protested, but she started to do it any ways.

"I have more acute senses then you, this is torture enough" Layla said as she backed away.

"Is that Sting? God the smell" A Woman interupted having spotted the group.

"Yeah Erza, it seems he is quite wasted" Natsu Responded

"Oh this is that Erza?" Layla said while still covering her face with her left arm but extended her right in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Heartfilia" Erza responded with a small curtsey

"Oh please call me Layla" Layla responded with a smile as the smell of Sting's drunkenness started to clear.

"So you're a Dragon?" Erza bluntly said causing Lucy to almost face palm.

Layla stopped smiling and stared directly into Erza's eyes, as she did this she changed her eye colour from her human brown to a fiery yellow. Erza smiled and gave a nod as if a non spoken meaningful conversation had just occurred.

Layla upon seeing Erza's response changed her eye colour back to her human brown and smiled. "I like her" Layla proclaimed, turning to Lucy who sighed.

"What's going on? What happened?" Sting said as he came to on the ground surrounded by the 5 Fairy Tail wizards and Layla.

Sting stared at Layla after a second his eyes widened quickly standing up as he realised it was Citrine.

"You were drunk off your ass. Wendy fixed you" Gajeel replied answering Sting's questions

"Oh... um thanks Wendy, sorry about that" Sting said scratching his head.

"Sting, do you know where Rogue is?" Natsu asked.

"Um, I cant remember where he went sorry, but he should be around here somewhere" Sting responded.

"Weisslogia" Layla abruptly said staring at Sting who quickly snapped to attention at the mention of his Dragon's name.

Layla asked flashing a hint of anger "What happened?"

Sting looked down in shame as he answered "Weisslogia... Demanded that I kill him..." Layla's eyes squinted slightly as she carefully watched Sting.

"He had started to weaken due to failing health, One day he suddenly demanded that I kill him. I told him I didn't want to, then he told me that those that wield Dragon Slaying Magic became stronger when they kill a Dragon."

As Sting continued tears began to well up in his eyes "In the end, he demanded that I show him that I had the power to slay a Dragon and suddenly attacked me, forcing me to defend myself. Before I knew it he just died, I had hardly touched him."

Layla sighed at the story "As I suspected, he lied to you, then let you kill him" Layla said before showing frustration "That prideful idiot, if only he had held on... I could have saved him." A tear ran down Layla's face.

Sting was confused at the mention that Layla could have saved him as well as the display of emotion she showed.

Sting starring back at Layla "Who are you, really? you could've saved him?"

"My name is Citrine, I am the Light Pillar. I was your Dragon Weisslogia's Empress and he was the Holy Brood King in my court"

"You're a Dragon Empress?... I see... Now it makes sense" Sting responded.

"Oh?" Layla said raising an eyebrow

"When you killed the 2 Dragons in the square, during the invasion. You used that attack... 'Pulsar' you called it? It had so much power, but yet I sensed you were holding back. I see now, I was right." Sting responded.

Layla smiled but chose to change the subject to the issue at hand. "Rogue the Shadow Dragon Slayer, Natsu told me that he said the shadows were talking to him. Do you know anything about this?"

"Yes, Rogue had mentioned it before, I have even seen him stop and yell at his own shadow as well as stomp on it like he was trying to scare it off. Either he is telling the truth, or he is going crazy" Sting responded.

"He isn't lying, but its not his Shadow, its a Demon" Gajeel interrupted repeating what Layla had told him while defending Rogue's honour.

"There is a chance that the Shade is connected to Zeref" Wendy added.

"And that's why we need your help to kick its ass" Natsu joined in

"Zeref?!" Erza exclaimed having listened to everything up until now.

"Yes, What you know as Zeref, he has either sent a Demon that is trying to invade Rogue's body, or it is Zeref himself trying to control him. No matter which it is we need your Holy Magic Sting to free him" Layla explained bringing both Erza and Sting up to speed.

"Me?" Sting responded looking down with no confidence

"If it is Zeref... I can't be personally involved. But even if it is him, the Shade Demon he is using will be weak enough for you to Cleanse with your Holy Dragon Slayer Art." Layla responded hoping to give Sting confidence.

"You want me to attack Rogue's Shadow with my Holy Nova?" Sting responded confused.

"No, I want you to Cleanse Rogue himself using your Holy Fire" Layla responded.

"Holy Fire? Wiesslogia never taught me that" Sting said in confusion.

Layla paused a moment thinking a few seconds, then walked behind Sting.

"Don't move this will only take a moment. Could the rest of you restrain Sting's arms and legs." Layla said with a smile adding "Trust me"

"If you're going to do what I think you are Momma, then we will help" Lucy responded grabbing Sting's arm while nodding to the rest of the group.

Erza, Gajeel, and Natsu restrained his remaining limbs, while Wendy assisted Lucy.

"Ok, ready. Trust us Sting, I've been through it also" Lucy said trying to reassure Sting who was starting to freaked out.

"Sting, I'm going to give you the knowledge of Holy Fire."

Layla placed her hands over Sting's ears and closed her eyes. Soon her hands began to glow yellow and as they did Sting shut his eyes and grit his teeth to avoid crying out in pain. The wizards restraining him held on tightly as he instinctively tried to break free, after about 5 seconds the glowing on Layla's hands stopped.

She opened her eyes taking a step back away from Sting who had now stopped moving. While everyone else all released the limb they were restraining, also all taking a step back.

Sting with his eyes remaining firmly closed opened his mouth to speak with a smile "I see... The light that repels the darkness... The fire that extinguishes evil... Reducing it all..."

Sting slowly opened his eyelids, as he did his eyes appeared to be replaced with pure white flames as he said "To nothingness..." white smoke seemed to simmer outwards as he finished his trance. However this only lasted for a second before it all faded returning Sting to his usual self.

The other 5 wizards were all freaked out by his words and from the sight of Sting's burning eyes.

"I'm surprised Citrine... This power I thought it would be an offensive move but I was wrong, its so much more then that. It is divine protection, purifying afflictions, I see now why I would cast it on Rogue if there is a Demon." Sting said this as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"Thank you, you have given me the power to save my comrade." Sting added.

The other Wizards all calmed down after it was revealed to not be an offensive move, however they were all still a little curious as to how it would work.

"Let's save Ryos" Gajeel said to the group as it seemed Sting was ready.

Layla nodded to the 5 before turning to Sting and smiling "Go help your Friend. Make Wiesslogia, no, your 'Father' proud."

Sting smiled and nodded as he turned to leave to find Rogue with the others. As he ran he quietly said to himself "Are you watching... Dad"

* * *

"Where do you lot think you are running off to?" Makarov said staring at the group of Fairy Tail Wizards running in their formal wear.

"Master, we need to find Rogue, he may be haunted by a Shade" Erza responded.

"Hmm a Demon..." Makarov groaned to himself before informing the group "I saw Rogue leave with the other Sabretooth members a few minutes ago"

"Got it Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed as he turned to run off to intercept them, but before he could Makarov crushed him with his Titan enlarged fist.

"I WASN'T FINISHED!" Makarov exclaimed to the group

"I'm not having Fairy Tail be responsible for any more Destruction to the city" Makarov said as he returned his arm to normal.

"But Master, this could be related to Zeref" Lucy said trying to explain.

"Exactly!, If a demon is involved it most likely is the work of Zeref. Which is exactly why you can not do this in the city." Makarov responded with authority

"You said it was a Shade, the fact that you know about it means that Rogue himself has most likely mentioned it in some way." Makarov said rubbing his chin before continuing "If Rogue is aware of it then he is already fighting it's influence, meaning there is time."

"He is right Sting... I have to admit." Gajeel said looking at Sting who was still shaken by the whole idea.

"I know but..." Sting said before stopping, still showing worry.

"Why don't you bring Rogue to us" Erza said

"Thats right! You and Rogue could visit Fairy Tail in Magnolia. You said you wanted to rebuild your guild, so tell him it's research." Lucy suggested

"That's a good idea" Wendy exclaimed

"Yeah, you're right, I could do that. To be honest Rogue and I were kind of curious to visit your Guild to see what it was like anyway" Sting Responded.

"You won't be disappointed" Erza added nodding confidently.

"What are you kids planning! Just because I said not to do it here doesn't we destroy Magnolia!" Makarov said as he started to sweat, picturing the destruction of Magnolia, followed by a bill from the mayor.

But none of them answered as they all returned to what was left of the Party.


	16. A Mother's Love and the 13th Key

While the other's had ran off with Sting to deal with Rogue.

Layla who was left on her own decided to gauge the Human Wizards still present at the party. She changed her eyes to blue and quietly weaved between the wizards, as she analysed all of their potential strengths and current powers.

She noted a few exceptional people like Jura, who was calmly drinking a cup of tea. However, the other members of Lamia Scale, who, including obaba were drunk off their faces.

Layla noticed Chelia sitting at a table behind them, she was resting her stomach having consumed too much desert, but what caught Layla's attention was her magic composition.

* * *

"God slayer..." Layla said to herself as she approached Chelia, sitting down beside the unsuspecting Wizard.

"Hmm? Oh hello, are you also friends with Wendy? I saw her with you earlier..." Chelia said before her eye's grew wide as she remembered the commotion that occurred after that.

"Wait a minute?! Didn't someone say you were a Dragon?" Chelia said starting to panic in fear.

"Please calm down, I'm not your enemy. However I am curious about that magic of yours" As Layla said this she smiled but ran her eyes carefully over Chelia from head to toe.

"Oh my Sky God Magic? Did you see it at the Grand Magic Tournament?" Chelia asked with pride.

"No, I can see your magic." As Layla said this she tapped the side of her face with her right index finger, pointing at her blue eyes.

"You can see my magic?" Chelia said confused.

"Yes, your magic originates from the one who you know as Zeref. However, despite your mastery of it you seem to be extremely pure, I'm quite fascinated by your accomplishment" Layla said as she continued to look at Chelia.

Chelia was getting a little freaked out as the conversation seemed to be entering rather deep waters, but what alarmed her most was the mention of Zeref.

"Zeref? What do you mean my magic originated from Zeref?" Chelia asked worried.

"Your God Slaying Magic, the reason it shares a resemblance to that of Dragon Slayers is because it has the same origin... Dragons." Layla paused noticing the surprise on Chelia's face but decided to keep going before she could ask any questions.

"However unlike Dragon Slaying Magic that was created for humans, God Slaying Magic originates with the Dark Dragons. In fact the only reason it is called God Slaying is because the Dark Dragon Obsidian had an Ego" Layla said hoping to clarify it for Chelia.

"Huh? Dragons? I learnt this magic from a Book given as a gift to me" Chelia responded

Layla paused for a second considering Chelia's response and after deeming it to be true she responded "It's Okay Chelia, despite the origin of your magic, I can see that you have made it your own."

"I'm actually quite happy" Layla said with a smile before adding "The purity I can see in your heart is wonderful, you will be a fine wizard."

Chelia smiled at Layla's words before asking "So it is love, right?

"Yes, It is indeed love" Layla responded with a beaming smile.

"Yay!" Chelia cheered at the mention of love.

Layla stood up from her chair and bid Chelia fair well, before she continued her journey around the room analysing the remaining wizards.

* * *

A few minutes had passed and Layla had finished a circle around the wizards, just as she was about to take a seat at her original table near the edge of the room, she felt a familiar presence.

At that moment Yukino was walking by her location, as she did her Key to Ophiuchus began to glow brightly and started to rattle, soon it stopped obeying gravity and instead started to gravitate sideways on the key chain raising itself in Layla's direction.

This caught Yukino by surprise, she had never seen any of her keys do this, Layla who sensed the presence of the key, quickly spun around in the direction she felt it's presence, her eyes changed to purple and she quickly scanned for signs Ophiuchus.

Yukino observing the key noticed the direction it was pointing, so she also looked to see what it could possibly be trying to tell her. She saw Layla standing next to a table with her eyes searching for something, she knew it couldn't be a coincidence so she approached her.

"Hello, My name is Yukino" Yukino said as she bowed towards Layla who was surprised by the action.

"Hello, My name is Layla Heartfilia" Layla responded with a small curtsey to answer Yukino's sign of respect.

"I know now that it was you who helped us at the Eclipse Gate, and Arcadios has also informed me that you were responsible for the repair of the city. Layla, I wonder if you could help me?" Yukino asked respectfully.

"Oh?" Layla responded as she scanned Yukino, identifying her Magic to be Celestial.

"I currently posses the 13th Gate Key Ophiuchus, and for some reason it seems to be reacting very strangely to your presence... Do you know why?" Yukino asked with genuine concern.

Layla smiled before asking "Would you mind summoning him for me? Not here of course, but perhaps tomorrow?"

"It would be my honour, my Lady" Yukino replied bowing her head.

"Please, call me Layla... Would you meet me at the arena grounds around noon?" Layla replied with a smile.

"As you wish" Yukino responded raising her head.

Lucy having spotted her Mother with Yukino raced over to greet the two.

"Oh Momma, this is Yukino the wizard I told you about that has the 13th gate key" Lucy cheerfully said trying to introduce her.

"Mother?" Yukino said in shock, she had somehow missed this key piece of information earlier in the night.

"Hmm? Oh you didn't know?" Layla said as she changed her eyes back to her Human brown and stood next to Lucy.

Yukino's eyes widened as she saw just how closely they resembled each other but she knew that Layla was the Dragon Citrine so this confused her.

"I'm still kind of getting used to it myself" Lucy replied.

"How rude" Layla said with a smile as she playfully teased Lucy for her response.

"I see, that's why your such an amazing person Lucy" Yukino said with a small blush.

"No, she did that all by herself" Layla responded with pride however with a touch of sadness as she was not there for 14 years.

"Thanks Mom" Lucy said as she placed her hand over her heart.

Yukino smiled at the interaction of the two before saying "Well I best be leaving for the night, I'll see you at noon tomorrow Layla" Yukino bowed as she left the party.

"Hmm?" Lucy said surprised by Yukino's words as she had left.

"You're meeting her again tomorrow Momma?" Lucy asked to catch up on the conversation.

"Yes, I'm going to help her summon Ophiuchus' true form, that way I can best explain the origin of her Key to her" Layla responded looking at Lucy before saying "I'd like you and the others to see him also"

"Scary" Lucy said as she thought about how much stronger the Celestial could be.

"I told you, he is a friendly Celestial once you get to know him" Layla said slightly pouting at the negative feedback she was receiving.

"Well, it has been a long day, especially considering we had an extra 6 hours more than others, Perhaps we should call it a night?" Layla said to her daughter with a smile.

"Yeah" Lucy responded with a nod as she smiled.

"Wait? Where have you been staying these past nights Momma?" Lucy asked concerned

"Well after the Dragon incursion I spent the morning in that Dimension I took you to reinforcing my magical seals as it was the first time I had actively used them. However the Following night I stayed with a nice group of people I met called Ultear, Jellal, and Meredy." Layla replied.

"So thats how you knew Ultear" Lucy replied before asking "But what about the last 2 nights?"

"I spent them in a cave in the nearby mountains, I guess it was a force of habit after using my power, my instincts kind of took over" Layla responded with a small giggle.

Lucy however wasn't impressed "Well you should come with Me and Fairy Tail! We are staying at the Honeybone Inn!"

"Oh I couldn't impose" Layla replied before Lucy quickly fired back.

"No, I insist! I finally got you back and I'm not letting go now, so you're coming with me" Lucy said taking charge of the whole situation.

* * *

An hour had passed since the Banquet with most of the wizards stumbling back to their inns in a drunken stupor, Lucy was downstairs at the Honeybone Inn reception desk to enquire about a vacant room for her mother, or at least to acquire some additional pillows.

"What a lovely establishment" Layla comment as she sat in an arm chair at the reception.

"Thank you maam, we pride ourselves as the home away from home for our guests" The clerk at the desk replied with a smile, he was still a little tired being midnight but the comment had brightened his mood.

At that moment a large portion of the Fairytail mages returned to the inn as they had been staying there. This included all but Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel and Wendy.

"Im beat I think I over did it with the food, but a MAN has to pigout" Elfman proclaimed as he entered the room.

"Sometimes you're embarassing brother" Lisanna commented with a teardrop  
"I must admit I havent seen you eat like that in a long time Elfman" Mirajane added

"Well it was food provided by the king, I guess he got his monies worth" Macao responded with a grin  
"Yeah he eat enough for the whole guild" Wakaba added.  
"The food was free though?!" Levy added with a teardrop

"Hahhhah WooOOO Errrr" Cana said as she flailed about over the shoulder of Laxus  
"Really Cana! Your drinking was more embarassing" Luxus said  
All 3 of the thundergod tribe nodded their heads in agreement

"Awww hey isn't that Lucy's Mom?" Romeo exclaimed as he pointed at Layla sitting in her chair

"Huh?" the group responded as they all stared at Layla, before half of them started to freak out.

Layla just calmly waved at them and smiled.

"Really you guys, get it under control" Lucy said defending her Mother from the mob as she accepted the extra pillow from the Clerk at the counter.

"Hmm, is she staying here tonight Lucy?" Makarov asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, if that's okay..." Lucy responded slightly intimidated.

Makarov thought it over for a bit putting on his serious face. However after a couple of seconds he quickly ran over to Layla and offered to put her up for the night in his room.

Lucy quickly shielded her mother from the over excited old man and pushed her up the stairs towards her room. Layla smiled and waved back at Makarov as Lucy dragged her off, Makarov showed heartbreak at his imagined lost chance.

Lucy quickly closed the door behind her to keep the rabble out.

"Haha, sorry about that" Lucy scratched her head in embarrassment at her guilds actions.

Layla giggled before responding "They seem like a lively bunch, you have wonderful friends Lucy, I'm glad that you found a place with them"

Lucy smiled thinking about her memories with Fairy Tail and everything they have been through.

"If you want you can sleep in the bed Momma, I can sleep on the floor" Lucy said as she started to prepare a sleeping place for herself.

"No, please sleep next to me Lucy, I haven't felt the warmth of my daughter for 14 years." She said before giggling as she added "The last time was when you were 10 years old claiming to have seen a monster under your bed. You ran to my room crying, and I let you sleep next to me that night... I missed that"

Lucy smiled fondly before agreeing to her mothers wishes, the 2 of them curling up together like all those years ago.

"However you were a little smaller back then" Layla laughed as they now took up most of the single bed.

"Look who is talking, you weren't some all powerful Dragon back then either momma" Lucy playfully responded.

"touché" Layla said with a small laugh as she held Lucy tightly. "Thank you for this Lucy"

Soon both Layla and Lucy fell asleep.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, a small commotion came from outside.

"Put your clothes back on Gray you bastard" Natsu exclaimed

"Shut up flame brain" Gray responded

Erza hit both of them over the head shutting them up before opening the door to their shared room.

As they entered they all went silent noticing Lucy curled up with her mother beside her, they all smiled and nodded to each other, and ensuring to not make a sound as they each got into their respective beds to sleep.

* * *

The next day Layla woke up beside her Daughter for the first time in 14 years, she smiled as she slowly picked strands of hair out of Lucy's face, taking a mental photo of it to cherish.

Not before long Lucy woke up and smiled as she sat up on the bed and looked around the room. The other wizards were all still sleeping after a late previous night but they all started to stir as life returned to the room.

"Morning" Natsu said as he sat up in his bed across the room, rubbing his eyes while he still had a noticeable trail of drool out of the side of his mouth.

"Mmmrrrmmmorning" Gray said as he came to

Erza threw off her covers and stood up full of energy before looking around and greeting the other wizards with a simply nod.

Wendy and Carla walked into the room rubbing their eyes and yawning, they had just woken up in an adjacent room and were drawn to the sound of voices.

Happy still laying in Natsu's bed kept trying to sleep but still managed to say "Aye" instinctively in his sleep.

Layla got up out of the bed next to Lucy and her pyjamas began to magically morph into a comfortable soft summer dress, white with various flowers patterned over it.

The other wizards looked on envious except for Erza who followed suit and changed into her regular comfortable clothes via ex-equip.

"Does anyone know the time?" Erza asked to the room, but she was met with blank stares.

* * *

After about 15 minutes of everyone getting ready and freshing up in the bathroom, they all head downstairs to figure out what to do, this was to be their last day in the city before they made their way back to magnolia.

As they entered the Lobby they were met by Mavis who looked at Layla and smiled, however Layla at this point was unaware of her presence.

"Good Morning First" Erza said greeting the First Master casually, this prompted Layla who relised they were refering to Mavis to extend her hand which Mavis quickly took

"There you are, good morning" Layla said with a smile to Mavis the others were shocked that she could see her.

"Good morning Light Guardian Citrine" Mavis responded with a smile

"You know about her Dragon?!" the 2 Slayers and Lucy said surprised.

"Yep" Mavis said with a big grin but didn't say any more on the subject.

"Would you like me to give you some power today Mavis so that you can interact with others?" Layla asked with a friendly smile.

"No not today, but thank you Citrine" Mavis responded as she gently let go of Layla's hand.

"So it was your doing last night?" Wendy said smiling at Layla

"Yes, I gave her 30 minutes to interact with people... Although she spent that time eating nothing but desert..." Layla said with a sigh.

"Oh did you find out the time Erza?" Layla asked turning to Erza who was sitting cross legged on a armchair in the Inn's lounge area.

"Yes, its 11am, it seems we all slept in" Erza responded as she started polishing her swords nonchalantly, much to the dismay of the staff.

"Hmm 11am, I told Yukino I would meet her in the arena area at 12noon, we had best get moving" Layla announced to the group.

"You were meeting Yukino?" Gajeel said joining into the conversation from his lounge chair that he had been covertly eavesdropping from.

"Yes I promised to tell her about Ophiuchus, however I would like you all to come meet him" Layla said looking at the 3 Dragon Slayers and Lucy.

"Wasn't Ophiuchus that giant snake Yukino used?" Gray asked as he was out of the loop.

"Yes, it's the Celestial Spirit I helped create for the Spirit King" Layla responded

"Im impressed Layla" Erza said before adding "Do you mind if we tag along, we don't have any plans for today"

"Not at all, please feel free to accompany us" Layla said with a smile

The group nodding to each other as they all hopped up out of their chairs and left the Inn. The city had returned to its usual lively self with merchants and citizens filling the streets, The group made their way to the edge of the city and climbed the stairs leading to the arena.


	17. The Celestial Serpent Guard

The group consisting of Layla, Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Erza and Gray plus the 3 exceeds all arrived at the arena, with the intent to see Ophiuchus' true form.

Yukino as well as Arcadios were waiting at the top of the stairs to greet the group as they arrived.

* * *

"Hello Fairy Tail, I'd like to personally thank you for all your efforts over the last few days" Arcadios said before he frowned and stared at Natsu "Natsu... If you touch the King again I will have you thrown into a very dark hole"

"Arcadios was nice enough to change some of the guard rosters for the arena at short notice, so we should be uninterrupted for a few hours" Yukino stated to the group

"Yes, I heard that you were personally interested in Yukino's 13th Celestial key, as it was you Citrine, this piqued my interest" Arcadios responded.

"This better not be your cheesy way to try to hit on my Mom..." Lucy said trying to read into Arcadios' motives

Arcadios didn't know what to say to this but couldn't help blush at the idea. Layla giggled before saying "Well I guess I'm a little too old for him"

The rest of the group just looked at Layla, some of them couldn't help but question that response as Layla was quite beautiful.

"I want to see this Dragon!" Natsu shouted completely changing the mood of the group

"Dragon?" Yukino and Arcadios responded in confusion.

"Yes, Yukino, Ophiuchus is a Celestial Spirit that I created, its true complete form is actually that of a Dragon or more specifically a Serpent Guard" Layla responded

"It's gonna be awesome!" Natsu exclaimed unable to contain his excitement

"That Snake thing is going to become a Dragon!" Gray said as he started to question why he came along.

Yukino took out her Ophiuchus Key. As she held it she could feel the immense pull it had trying to gravitate towards Layla.

"You say you created Ophiuchus? how can that be?!" Yukino asked rather surprised

"I requested the aid of the Celestial Spirit King long ago, and in repayment for his generosity, I used my Magic to create a Spirit Guard to protect the Celestial Realm in case of any... repercussions... for his aid" Layla responded smiling to assure them that there was no danger.

"The key to Ophiuchus, right now I can feel it trying to gravitate towards you, this has never happened before... does that mean that he isn't mine?" Yukino asked with Concern.

"The reaction of the key does not mean what you think, I feel that Ophiuchus may simply wish to communicate with me and that is why it is seemingly trying to seek my audience." Layla responded alleviating Yukino's doubts.

"Shall we go inside the arena, as you know he can be quite a large Celestial if he wants, so we will need an open area to summon him" Layla said gesturing Yukino towards the open field.

"This should be a spectacle worth seeing" Erza said with a nod

"I'm a little scared honestly" Lucy said shivering "Momma said that this thing can get more powerful"

"I'm with Lucy, I can't imagine what that snake is going to be like with more power" Gray added

"I'm sure it will be fine, Layla has been very kind to us" Wendy said reassuring the group

"Yes, no point doubting her now" Gajeel added.

"Yep, your mom's the best, Lucy!" Natsu said proudly.

"Hmm, we seem to have missed a lot" Carla said in confusion  
"Hmm this woman is quite the Enigma" Pantherlily said as he pondered the situation.  
"Aye, but if Natsu trusts her" Happy added backing up Natsu.

"Citrine has done a lot for this city in a short time, and if she wished us harm she has no reason to conceal it" Arcadios said knowing full well that Citrine was not to be taken lightly.

The group all took a front row seat to watch the summoning from the arena grandstand, while Yukino and Layla stood in the middle of the Arena floor.

"Now Yukino, when you summon Ophiuchus you got his Snake form is that correct?" Layla asked Yukino, at the same time her eyes changed to Blue to analyse her magical capacity.

"Yes Ophiuchus has only ever shown himself as a giant powerful snake to me" Yukino responded

"Ok the reason he can't fully materialize his true form is because it takes a considerable amount of magical power to do so, it would be similiar to opening 4 regular Zodiac keys at once, at this time I would guess you can manage 2 is that correct?" Layla asked.

"Yes, currently I have been unable to have more than 2 Zodiac spirits at a time, I can't even open silver doors while Libra and Pisces are out." Yukino said explaining her limitation.

"Okay, I'm going to feed you a considerable amount of energy to help with opening his doorway, think of it like a unison raid. In order to do this I'm going to shield you as my magic power can be a little... Explosive... With out it. But don't be alarmed you aren't in any danger." Dispite what Layla had said Yukino was still a little freaked out at that explanation.

"OK" Layla said loud enough for everyone to hear getting their attention "I'm going to be releasing a few of my magical seals here, you will feel a drastic rise in magical pressure but please don't be alarmed, just stay calm and don't move from your seats"

"Ok everyone up here is ready" Lucy shouted back looking at everyone who was bracing themselves.

"Ok Yukino, I'm about to remove some seals" as she said this she created a green cocoon like shield over Yukino "This shield I have created will protect you from my magical pressure as well as act as a conduit for my power, when I tell you, open the door to Ophiuchus, okay?" Layla asked having explained the situation.

Yukino Nodded before confidently replying "Ready"

Layla closed her eyes as she mentally prepared her mind 'Seal release 10%'. After a few seconds she was enveloped in Green fire, and before long white lightning began to crack in the flames which released a wall of magical pressure into the on looking wizards who all had their mouths open as they held on to the chairs they were in, Arcadios however who wasn't a wizard passed out."

The flames soon cleared revealing Layla with her Golden wings extended, white lightning arching in a constant current between the 2 tips above her head. She raised both her hands placing her palms to the outside surface of the shield.

"Ok Yukino start the summons" Layla calmly said to Yukino who answered with a nod.

"Open the Gate of the Serpent, OPHIUCHUS!" Yukino said with a twist of her Golden Key.

However... Nothing seemed to happen...

Yukino puzzled by this looked at Layla who just smiled, before calmly saying "Be glad your inside the shield, he is coming..."

The Wizards who were looking on at the 2 down on the arena floor were getting confused...

"Hey what gives?" Lucy said in confusion.  
"Did the spell misfire?" Gray asked  
"No, that's not it" Erza said with a slight look of worry

However the 3 Dragon Slayers all looked at each other...

"You guys can't feel that?" Natsu said to the others who all looked at him confused.  
"So much power..." Gajeel exclaimed  
"He's Coming" Wendy said as she took cover behind another level of the arena seating.

"Huh?" the 3 exceeds said looking at each other.

* * *

Without warning, a gigantic yellow magical circle twice the diameter of the arena itself appeared in the sky with a Thunderous crack that shook the entire city.

13 Separate arcs of Lightening equally spaced around the circumference of the circle shot down all converging to a single point about 20 meters in front of Yukino's position. When the lightning made contact all the wizards except Wendy who took cover were blown out of the seats and flew several rows up the arena before landing.

"WHAT IS WITH THIS POWER" Erza yelled as all the wizards had now copied Wendy's example and taken cover behind various seating.

The Magical circle descended from the sky following the path of the lightning and as it descended it grew smaller in diameter eventually reaching the convergence point on the ground. As it touched down on the ground a Giant pillar of Yellow Light shot up from the single converging point the lightning had formed.

Then in a flash the beam radiated outwards horizontally sending a shockwave again through the arena, the wave was so powerful that it pulverized the earth around its position, creating a crater about 25 meters in diameter.

The light and all other secondary effects vanished revealing Ophiuchus in his completed form.

At the centre of the crater was a Serpent Dragon with a length of about 30 meters in total, it had bright golden scales similar to Citrine on its back or upper body however for its underbelly it had what looked like chrome steel.

It had 4 short legs leading to very powerful looking claws all steel in nature. Its head was slightly aquatic looking, the majority of its facial features were gold except for 2 rather large horns that were chrome and his lower jaw.

The wizards in the stadium all came out of hiding now that the calamity of power had subsided all of them amazed at Ophiuchus new form. The main thing they were surprised about was his colour, considering his snake body was black and very evil-looking but this new form seemed almost tranquil.

* * *

Ophiuchus twisted his body into an S shape propping himself up on his hind legs and bowed to Yukino and Layla in the middle of the arena.

"Hello Yukino, we finally meet" Ophiuchus calmly said greeting Yukino who was quite surprised

"Hello... My friend" Yukino responded with a tear of happiness

Ophiuchus looked towards Layla who stood there with her golden wings extended.

"Hello... Mother" Ophiuchus said to Layla

The words seemed to shock the wizards in attendance, despite the fact they knew Layla had created the celestial, just hearing it call her mother seemed to strike a chord.

"YOUR BROTHER IS AMAZING LUCY!" Natsu screamed from the stand.

"WHAT!" Lucy yelled "IS HE REALLY MOMMA!?" Lucy screamed towards the arena

"I have to admit that is kinda awesome lucy" Wendy replied

"He is a fine Dragon" Gajeel responded as Ophiuchus reminded him of metalicana due to the metal look he had about him, the combination of chrome steel and gold metal looking scales.

Layla couldn't help but laugh but chose not to tease her daughter "It's okay Lucy he wouldn't be considered a Blood relative, however I have no problem with the idea of him being part of the family" Layla shouted back.

"How strong is he?" Erza bluntly asked Gray just opened his mouth in disbelief of Erza's bluntness.

"Well to get him into his true form that he is in now he is equal to opening 4 Zodiac gates at once... So normally he wouldn't have this power at least in Earthland, but I'm sure we can organise a... demonstration" Layla said this with a grin as she lent in to whisper into Yukino's ear.

"Are you sure, that sounds kind of dangerous..." Yukino said with a frightened look on her face back to Layla.

Layla nodded before saying "But just give me a second to warn them first before you do it, okay"

"Warn us about what?" Natsu said having heard that part of Layla's conversation with Yukino.

"I'm going to have Ophiuchus perform a breath attack on me"

"That sounds pretty dangerous even though its you" Gajeel said

"Are you sure about this?" Wendy said in worry

"Sounds like a fine demonstration" Erza responded prompting the glare of the rest.

"You're going to be ok right Momma?" Lucy said terrified by the plan

"It's quite alright... at least against me... Against anything else including a Soldier or Captain Class Dragon like the ones you faced 3 days ago... that's another story."

"An attack that can defeat those Dragons?" Gray freaked out

"Yukino give me a few seconds to make some distance." Layla said as she rocketed into the sky above the arena with her wings.

"Ophiuchus, your mother asked me to tell you to use your 'Supernova' on her" Yukino said explain to Ophiuchus that it was her decision.

"If that is your wish" Ophiuchus responded as he opened his mouth aiming up towards Layla's position in the sky.

* * *

A large yellow ball of energy formed at the opening of Ophiuchus mouth as rays of light seemed to be getting sucked into it as it grew in size, before long the ball of energy grew to be about 5 meters in diameter, before it was released.

When Ophiuchus released it, he was visibly pushed downwards, his legs all dug into the ground cracking the earth within the crater even more as the ball of energy now looked like an extremely long-tailed comet rocketing towards Layla who hovered about 2KM in the sky above the arena.

The comet pierced the low cloud cover above the arena and impacted Layla's position. The explosion was ear shattering and no doubt drew the attention of the entire city.

A gigantic fiery yellow oval appeared which extended outwards at least 1KM either side of the impact site; and a shockwave pushed every cloud in the sky completely out over the horizon.

The shockwave in a lesser extent also reached the wizards in the arena, who were pushed down on their chairs as everything blew around violently with the sudden displacement of air. The sky seemed to burn for about 10 seconds before slowly clearing.

When it cleared at the epicentre of the explosion was a familiar green flame that quickly dissipated. After 10 seconds of now silence, Layla came back down to the ground quickly landing like a bullet hitting the earth throwing up a wall of dust.

* * *

"Nice job, Ophiuchus" Layla's voice said as the dust cleared revealing her seemingly unscathed.

"Thank you Mother" he responded with a small bow.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Lucy screamed in terror from the stadium

"AMAZING!" Wendy exclaimed

"Magnificent" Pantherlily proclaimed.

Both Happy and Carla were scared out of their minds.

"AWESOME!, Quick me next!" Natsu screamed as he started to run down the stairs to the arena, before Erza cracked him over the head.

"That attack was on the same level as the breath attack Acnologia used on Tenrou Island" Erza exclaimed.

"Yes, I created Ophiuchus with the potential power to stop an incursion into the Celestial Plain by Acnologia, so he would be considered evenly matched." Layla announced.

"Also what you didn't see, and the other reason why I created that much distance in the sky was that I released all of my seals on my power momentarily, returning to 100% of my dragon form to withstand the blast." Layla said revealing how she survived an attack of that magnitude before adding "Any other being would have been wiped from existence."

"Isn't that a bit reckless to allow Celestial Wizards the ability to control a being with power of this magnitude?!" Gray asked worried that the destructive power seen could fall into the wrong hands.

"No, Ophiuchus can only be controlled by those with light in their hearts. He has the intelligence to choose whether to obey, he won't answer to anyone harbouring darkness and will forcibly close his door." Layla responded reassuring those in attendance before adding "Kind of like Aquarius but a little less violent" with a small laugh.

"You said the 13th gate was more powerful than the rest yourself Lucy" Wendy said

"Yeah but if people knew he was capable of this, I'm sure more than just Celestial Wizards would've been looking." Lucy responded.

"For added safety Ophiuchus has an unbreakable contract with both Myself and the Celestial King. The Celestial King is watching everything Ophiuchus does and will step in himself if the moment ever required it." Layla announced to alleviate all fear.

"Good Moustache is on the Case" Lucy proclaimed from the stands.

At that moment all time stopped in the arena, all the wizards except for Layla and Lucy were freaking out... but after a few seconds the Celestial King appeared as if proving the point.

"MOUSTACHE!" Lucy happily exclaimed.

"The Spirit King came here himself!" Yukino said in shock

"Hello, Old friend" The Celestial King Exclaimed looking at Lucy

"Hello, New friend" He said smiling at Yukino, who couldn't help but let a tear run down her cheek.

"Citrine... Heh" The King said smiling at Layla.

"Hello... Atlas" Layla replied with a wave.

"Everything Citrine has said here is true..." The Celestial King Announced to the group of wizards.

"Ophiuchus represents the combined power of the Celestial Realm and the Dragons of Light and as such he rarely leaves my side" The Celestial King proclaimed with a serious face.

"However... Those with exceptional hearts may play with my friend in times of need" The Celestial king grinned as he said this staring at Yukino.

"Although he cannot fully be manifest in Earthland under normal circumstances, He will always do his best to protect you"

Yukino started to cry, touched by his words, Layla placed her hand on Yukino's shoulder before saying "You are the only other wizard to own that key in 14 years, he chose you, treasure him, your friends will always look out for you"

The Celestial King Smiled and soon he vanished as time resumed around the arena.

"I must go now Yukino, my scales shall always reflect the purity with in your heart." Ophiuchus said this as he returned to the celestial plain.

"Thank you... My friend" Yukino Sobbed.

"Before I reseal my power I best fix the arena, I'm sure Arcadios would be upset seeing it like this." Layla said raising her hand, a white aura enveloped her arm and all the bricks and holes in the arena refiled back to pristine condition.

Once everything was in its place she reapplied her seals concealing her wings and returning to her usual human form, the shield over Yukino vanishing as well.

"Please be good to my... Son" Layla quietly said into Yukino's ear with a smile.

"I will always treasure him, Layla" Yukino responded with a beaming smile as she closed her tear filled eyes.

Just then Arcadios regained conciousness in the stand.

"What happened? is everyone ok?" Arcadios said with confusion as he stood up.

"You missed everything" Gajeel said

"Yeah the Dragon was pretty cool" Natsu added.

"You may get a few reports from terrified citizens though" Lucy said a little embarrassed.

"What do you mean 'terrified citizens'?! What did you do!" Arcadios demanded

"Oh just a little show of strength, a few people may report a fire in the sky, but nothing was broken and there were no injuries" Layla shouted from arena.

"It was quite the spectacle" Erza added.

Arcadios gritted his teeth but as long as no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed he could deal with the situation.

"Damn it I wanted to fight the Dragon" Natsu said in a huff.

"Isn't that all you ever want to do?" Gray said angrily

"Well that was terrifying" Carla said still shaken from the display of power.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

"I Guess we should all head back" Lucy said to the group.

"Thank you for letting me see him Yukino, you're a wonderful Celestial Wizard." Layla said with a smile as she turned to regroup with the others at the entrance to the arena.

"Thank you for today, Layla" Yukino said with a bow of respect.

* * *

Layla walked out of the arena regrouping with the other Fairy Tail wizards at the arena gates.

"So that was the Celestial who watched over us" Wendy said with a smile as she had never felt safer in her life.

"Yes, I told you he was friendly" Layla responded with a smile.

"So... do you have any other family I should know about Momma?" Lucy said jokingly but at the same time couldn't help but wonder about Ophiuchus' true origin due to Layla's and the Spirit King's greetings...

"No Lucy, you are my single greatest creation" Layla responded with pride but at the same time a hint of loneliness.

"So if I had Ophiuchus' Key, I could eventually summon him like that" Lucy said with mischievous eyes.

"I am surprised that you aren't stronger Lucy" Erza bluntly announced.

Natsu and Happy snickered and immediately received a kick to the head by Lucy.

"Hmm, you may be right Erza" Layla said thinking it over

"What! don't agree with her Mom!" Lucy exclaimed

"I guess you're old enough for me to remove a seal" Layla said smiling at Lucy.

"Eh?" the rest of the group all said in confusion.

"Oh, I guess I never did mention it. but I had to seal your power when you were a child" Layla responded while looking at Lucy.

"Wait seals of her power? like what you have for your Dragon?" Gajeel asked

"Yes the very same" Layla responded.

"Wait, you said I was human!" Lucy exclaimed looking at her mother shocked but annoyed

"Does that mean Lucy is a Dragon!" Natsu proclaimed once again checking for physical evidence before Erza hit him over the head.

"You are human, but the power you had as a child developed faster than your body could handle, If I didn't seal your power you would've died." Layla said explaining her actions

(That's just like Ultear...) Gray thought to himself

"Just how much power is sealed in Lucy now than" Gray asked looking at Lucy.

"I placed 3 seals so that when the time was right I could release them slowly, allowing her body to adjust before the next seal was released..." Layla casually said as they walked down the arena stairs.

"However... as far as quantity is concerned right now each seal is holding back 25% of her total power, so accumulated 75% is sealed" Layla clarified.

"Amazing Lucy" Wendy exclaimed.

"So right now I'm at 25%... and I can support 2 Zodiac Spirits at once..." Lucy said thinking about it in her head

"So if a seal was removed it would be like when you used Gemini to cast Urano Metoria at the Grand Magic Games" Erza said thinking it over.

"You're body is more than capable of having a seal removed if you like" Layla said as she stopped on the road looking at Lucy.

"What now? Here?" Lucy said surprised as she hadn't processed everything yet.

"You're probably right, we best wait until you get home, the process would put you to sleep." Layla said as she considered the situation.

"Why would you even suggest it if it knocks me out?!" Lucy angrily asked.

"Well I figured Natsu could carry you" As Layla said this she flashed a mischievous smile at Lucy ensuring she saw it.

Lucy Blushed at the thought of Natsu carrying her.

"Wow your turning red" Happy exclaimed before Lucy flailed at the air trying to swat him like a fly.

Erza smiled at the idea of being carried bridal style, and couldn't help but think about her own fantasy of Jellal.

"Oh yes Erza" Layla said getting her attention.

"Hmm, yes what is it?" Erza responded snapping to attention.

"I'd like to talk to you about your Magic when we get back to the Inn." Layla said deliberately giving Erza time to think about her magic and all aspects of it...


	18. The Knight and the Return to Magnolia

Having Just returned from the Arena, where they had all just met Ophiuchus in his true form, Layla and the Fairy Tail wizards have finally made their way back to the Honeybone Inn.

The group upon entered the inn, immediately took over the lounge area as they all quickly occupied all the chairs provided in the room.

* * *

"What did you want to know about my magic Layla?" Erza asked curious about the reason Layla foreshadowed what should have been a simple question to answer.

"I have given it some thought since the Dragon incursion 4 days ago... And looking towards the future and what is likely to come..." Layla paused thinking about the situation as a whole ensuring she didn't want to back out now.

"I have come to the conclusion that, although Dragon Slayers like Wendy, Gajeel, and Natsu are here... Dragons among other things... still pose a threat to humanity."

"I see... But what does the Dragon Slayers have to do with me? My magic is completely different" Erza asked still confused about what Layla was getting at

Layla's eyes turned Blue as she stared at Erza "Your Magic, although there was never a need for Dragons to utilize it, its nature shares a resemblence to Dimensional Travel"

"Yes I store multiple sets of armor and weapons in a pocket dimension and with my magic I can easily swap between them as needed" Erza said clarifying what Layla was trying to say.

"The armor and weapons you use, are they magical themselves?" Layla curiously asked.

"Yes, some of my Weapons and Armor would be considered magical in nature. Like granting resistance to Fire or dealing Fire Damage" Erza Responded however it wasn't quite what Layla was looking for.

"Would you mind demonstrating your Magic to me, My eyes allow me to see how your magic will function and how it affects your given magic capacity" Layla asked staring at Erza.

"OK" As Erza said this she stood up, and changed into her Flame Empress Armor.

Layla stared at Erza in her new armor and after a few seconds said "I see, so this armor is designed to protect against Fire Magic, however I sense its protection is not absolute?"

"Yes it only halves the damage of fire, but it is still substantial" Erza responded.

"I notice that this armor itself doesn't seem to take up very much of your magic power either, this suggests that you have considerably more powerful armor available... am I correct?" Layla asked with a smile.

Erza smiled at this comment and decided to up the ante, changing into her Adamantine Armor.

Layla paused and looked over the new form with a smile. "Considerably higher defense impressive, but what is more impressive is that this armor still doesn't seem to occupy much of your magical capacity."

"Can I ask what it is you are looking for?" Erza asked sensing that her armor wasn't what Layla wanted to see.

"Could you show me what you would consider to be your most powerful armor weapon combination, I want to see how it interacts with your mana. Basically I'm looking for your limit." Layla calmly asked but showed a sign of seriousness about her request.

Erza thought about what Layla was trying to get at, but couldn't comprehend what specifically she wanted to learn from any of this. However, Erza decided to honour her request.

"Ok... 'Second Origin'" As Erza said this her magical pressure rocketted up as all her available Mana was tapped into "Nakagami" Erza muttered as she changed into the Armor she had used to defeat Minerva.

Layla smiled at seeing this particularly the use of Second Origin as she could see Erza's Magic exceed its original container as it now occupied more than 80% of all of her mana.

"Excellent... You are now using 80% of your full magical capacity, and your new armor and weapon looks to grant Spell Mastery and Manipulation... Magnificent" Layla proclaimed.

Erza Changed back into her standard Heart Kreuz armor as the strain of maintaining Second Origin was not something she wanted to endure without a pressing threat.

"I theorize that the remaining 20% of your magic is then used for offense and additional stamina but that is of a lesser concern." Layla added finishing her analysis.

"I appreciate your compliments, however you still have not explained your intention" Erza responded feeling slightly like a guinea pig.

"Earlier I mentioned that Dragons were still a threat and that the Slayers may not be enough to stop them, as seen 4 nights ago." Layla said

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Gajeel interrupted showing his displeasure at Layla's comment

Layla laughed before continuing "It isn't that Slayers themselves are incapable it's that the coming storm will have multiple fronts more than Dragon Slayers alone can handle."

Layla paused before continuing

"Because of this... After much deliberation... I have decided to create a set of armor and weapons to... empower... a select human. With the recommendation of the Slayers, as well as what I have seen today, I have chosen that individual to be you, Erza." Layla announced to the room

"Me?" Erza said surprised at the generous offer

"Congratulations Erza" Natsu happily exclaimed

"AYE!" Happy added

"What kind of armor are we talking about here?" Gray asked curious about the nature of Layla's proposal

"Due to the Nature of the armor and the way Erza's magic currently occupies her mana it would be incompatible with her... However! Erza still has untapped potential in her Magical Essense, so with some assistance she will be able to equip it."

"So it is armor I am currently unable to equip even with second origin? Considering the power required for the Nakagami set, it must be quite remarkable" Erza said while thinking about the possibility.

"Yes, it's why I haven't come to this decision lightly" Layla stated emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

"I'm scared just thinking about what it could be" Lucy said sensing the mood.

"Yeah, it must be something if Erza's second origin isn't enough for it" Gray added

"It's ok I'm sure Erza will be ready in no time" Natsu said standing up on his arm chair "I'm getting fired up!" he said igniting his fist.

"Sit down Salamander, don't go blowing up another building" Gajeel said growling at Natsu.

"Here we go again" Wendy said with a sigh.

Gajeel and Natsu and Gray got into a brawl before Erza quickly put them all back in their place.

"Erza will be perfect" Layla quietly muttered to herself.

"Hmm? did you say something Momma?" Lucy asked looking at Layla

"Oh, no its nothing" Layla said dismissing the question "I'm going to head upstairs for a bit and lay down before we all have to leave" Layla smiled as she said this and head up stairs to the room.

(Eh? That seemed wierd) Lucy thought to herself but was quickly swept up in the commotion of the rest of the group.

* * *

Layla having entered the room upstairs sat on Lucy's bed quietly thinking to herself about everything so far.

"Your there, aren't you Mavis" Layla calmly said to the empty room.

A few seconds later Mavis materialized next to her on the bed, her hand in Layla's.

"A war is coming isn't it" Mavis said with sadness.

"Yes... and I'm not sure yet if it will be my fault" Layla responded

"Ages change, some things can't be prevented, it is only how we react to the situation that decides our fate" Mavis responded.

"You are right, but what I'm doing is pre-emptively planning for war. That in itself could be seen as a declaration." Layla said as she looked down with concern

"Sometimes it is better to plan and fail then it is to fail to plan" Mavis said with a reassuring smile.

Layla looked at Mavis "Your appearance is very deceiving... I still haven't figured you out, and that in itself causes me concern."

Layla smiled before adding "However, I sense that we are very similar in nature. Obsidian and I represent two opposing sides of the same coin... I wonder what coin you represent..."

Mavis showed a mischievous smile at this response as she gently released Layla's hand and vanished back into the room.

"Hmph... I thought so" Layla said as she smiled, deciding to take the opportunity to take that nap.

* * *

About 1 hour passed, before Layla awoke to Lucy standing over her

"It's time for us to get ready for our trip home Momma" Lucy said as she peered down at her mother laying on her bed.

"Hmm? Oh I'm in the way aren't I" Layla said realising that she was laying on some of Lucy's clothing.

"You're going to come with us right Momma?" Lucy asked showing a sign of worry that they were separating.

"Oh where too?" Layla asked

"Back to Fairy Tail in Magnolia of course!" Lucy proudly said.

"Yes I'll come with you, I have some questions that may get answered when we get there". Layla responded, but this confused Lucy.

"Questions?" Lucy said puzzled.

"Oh its nothing bad, just a theory I have" Layla said dismissing the concern.

* * *

Having packed all their luggage the Fairy Tail guild split up into groups all taking a separate Carriage home. Layla was kind enough to cast Troia and both Luxus and Gajeel who were separating from their group, to which they were greatful as Wendy wasn't nearby.

"A Carriage, I haven't been in one for years..." as Layla said this she stepped into the Carriage and immediately became nauseous.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Lucy proclaimed looking at her mother's motion sickness before adding "ITS NOT EVEN MOVING!"

Wendy quickly assisted by casting Troia on Layla.

"Haha, I guess it's a Dragon thing" Layla said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"So it is your fault!" Natsu exclaimed

"But why don't I feel sick" Wendy questioned.

"Oh that's because Grandine was wise enough to add Troia as a passive enchantment during your Sky Magic infusion Wendy" Layla said with a smile.

"Thanks Mom" Wendy said with a smile before turning back to Layla "But wait why do you still get sick then?"

"Well despite my power, and my ability to cast nearly all spells in existance, however it is all reactionary after the fact. I can cast Trioa and Vernier etc but they are not automatic." Layla clarified.

"Hmm so I guess there are limits to your power" Erza remarked

Gray and Lucy both facepalmed at the bluntness of Erza's comment.

"Well I look forward to seeing your Guild" Layla said with a smile

"Yeah you will love it" Natsu exclaimed the rest of the members of Fairy Tail nodded in agreeance.

The cart continued on its journey to Magnolia unobstructed and they were back home in record time.

* * *

The Fairy Tail wizards all got out of the carriage at Magnolia square choosing to be dropped off there as it was central to all their homes so they all decided to split up for a few hours while the rest of Fairy Tail arrived.

Layla getting out of the Carriage last raised her hand to her forehead as she looked slightly concerned.

"Are you ok Momma?" Lucy said seeing her mothers strange look

"Hmm? Oh I'm ok, I just have a slight headache, maybe it is leftover from the carriage ride..." Layla said trying to dismiss the feeling.

"We seem to have beaten the other Members back to Magnolia, I guess we could head to my place and freshen up before they all return" Lucy suggested

"Could you tell me what that building over there is?" Layla pointed up the street towards the old Fairy Tail building

"Oh... that's our old guild hall. However it seems to have been restored!" Lucy exclaimed in excitement.

"Is it ok if we go take a peek?" Layla said looking at the building as she couldn't shake a feeling.

"Sure let's go it's not far" Lucy said excitedly

The pair of them walked up the main road of town towards the FairyTail building...

However... as they grew closer to the building Layla began to show signs of illness and despite her best efforts to conceal them from Lucy, she eventually noticed Layla's pace had changed.

"Are you sure you're ok, Momma?" Lucy asked concerned by the look in her mother's eyes

"It's... Ok. It's just that there is something familiar here..." Layla said confusing Lucy who grew concerned.

"Let's take a seat at that bench to rest its just up ahead" Lucy said as she helped her Mother towards the bench.

However, just a meter from the bench, Layla couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed on the sidewalk roughly 50 meters from the Fairytale Hall.

Lucy panicked and went to help her mother but stopped as she felt a sharp rise in Magical pressure...

Layla suddenly raised herself up on her knees and began to scream in agony arching her back with her head facing the sky. This scared Lucy to the core of her being as the magical pressure began to feel familiar...

As Layla continued to scream it started to become almost blood curdling in nature and started to soon turn into a terrifying roar.

"Noooo... IT... Here... I... Can't... In... Town" Layla yelled in pain between her screaming as a violent wind began to swirl around her.

"Lucy... RUN!" Layla screamed at Lucy who was frozen in fear.

"I.. I can't... move" Lucy responded.

Layla heard this and her eyes shot open in fear, she was losing control.

The wind circling around her caused nearby window shutters to bang around violently, and soon cracks of lightning began to spark around Layla's position in the air.

Layla realising that this was only going to end one way if she didn't do something about it, quickly summoned her wings and took off like a bullet into the sky at a 45 degree angle away from the Fairy Tail building.

A Giant green fireball erupted in the sky as massive arcs of white lightning shot outwards from the fire, discharging between the clouds above magnolia. An ear-piercing roar echoed out from above the clouds as the green hue of Layla's flames vanished...


	19. Unhinged the Declaration of War

After the thunderous roar shook the entire city of Magnolia, all the clouds dissipated to reveal a clear blue sky... there was no trace of Layla or her Dragon form Citrine anywhere.

Lucy had broken down in tears, and upon layla's ascent into the sky regained her ability to move so instinctively ran back to the drop-off point of the carriage.

* * *

All the other members of Fairy Tail that were with them had the same idea as Natsu, Erza, Wendy, Gray and now lucy arrived back at the city square.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Gray yelled in a panic.  
"WAS THAT ACNOLOGIA?" Erza exclaimed she too was petrified by the sound.

"No... that was Citrine!" Natsu said staring at lucy who was hysterical.  
"Oh my god Lucy!" Wendy shouted in fear.

Both Happy and Carla were both frozen, scared out of their minds

"WHAT?!" both Gray and Erza said as Natsu's words had reached them.

"What do you mean that was Citrine? Isn't that what they called Layla?" Erza asked

Natsu quickly ran over to Lucy wrapping her in his arms as she was still freaking out. "Lucy... what happened?"

"Momma... She... She..." Lucy said still unable to control her shaking

"It's ok Lucy, we're here... Take a deep breath..." Natsu said as the other wizards gathered nearby in support.

"She... Broke down... Outside of the old Fairy Tail building" Lucy said pausing to breathe some more before continuing "She complained about a headache, and as we approached the building she got sick... Then..." Lucy tried to force the words but started crying again.

"She got sick as you approached the building?" Gray said confused.

"She lost control?" Wendy said terrified

"Lost control?" Erza said puzzled by that meaning.

"She seals her power because it can hurt others" Natsu said trying to remain calm

"If something happened to her seals and she couldn't control it, if she turned into that Dragon she showed us..." Natsu said as he started to show fear which Erza and Gray were both shocked to see in Natsu's eyes.

"She... Left... When it happened... She must have realised... So she flew off as fast as she could" Lucy said as she started to control herself

"She must have known... That's why she ran away" Wendy said.

"What haven't we been told, what is Layla, really?" Erza asked concerned as she realised she was missing pieces to the puzzle.

"She called herself the Light Pillar right? What is that?" Gray added as he was in the same boat as Erza.

"Layla, or Citrine. She is 1 of 2 of the most powerful Dragons in history" Natsu responded.

"Most powerful? Isn't that Acnologia?!" Erza said confused by this description.

"From the way Momma explained it Acnologia is equal to 30% of her Dragon's power" Lucy muttered still shaken.

"So with Acnologia at 30% Citrine is more than 3x the strength of Acnologia" Wendy added to clarify.

"HOLY SHIT" Gray said losing all composure.

"That gentle woman has 3x the power of Acnologia... How is that possible" Erza said now extremely frightened of the possibility.

"That's why she seals her power. She told us that her magical pressure alone can kill most life within a 1KM radius of her" Natsu said recalling Layla's warning.

"She ran to avoid that" Lucy said still taking comfort in Natsu.

"It seems though that she hasn't lost control or we wouldn't be here, based on your description. But it does seem that she lost the ability to control her power" Erza summarized considering what she had heard.

"If that's the case, there isn't anything we can do about it" Carla added.

"Are you going to be ok, Lucy?" Natsu said as he still held her in his arms comforting her.

"Mmm, I should be... I just don't want to lose her again" Lucy said with deep sadness.

"The rest of the guild will be here soon, and from what I heard there was going to be some parade or something to celebrate our victory later. We shouldn't worry the others with what we know, I'm sure she will be back." Erza said to the group taking charge of the situation.

"Your right, I'm sure Momma is going to fix the problem. She will come back!" Lucy said trying to convince herself.

"Aye" Happy exclaimed.

"Yep, I'm with happy on this one, we should have faith. Lets put on a strong showing for Magnolia" Natsu exclaimed

(why did it happen near the Fairy Tail building) Lucy couldn't shake this question in her mind but decided to put on a strong front for Fairy Tail.

* * *

About 2 hours later the remaining Fairy Tail members arrived back in Magnolia, the towns people still shaken by the earlier noise but because they couldn't see anything in the sky and hadn't heard anything since still lined the streets to show their support.

Makarov noticed Lucy's demeanor, but realised he would probably just open old wounds if he said anything so he remained quiet, deciding to be with his wayward children.

"Oi, Salamander. Why can I smell Citrine but not see her" Gajeel said quietly to Natsu as he noticed Layla wasn't with them.

"She had to leave suddenly but should be back soon... just don't say anything about it to Lucy, she is still a bit sore" Natsu replied keeping it quiet.

* * *

Above the parade a small demon looked on at the festivities

"KIKI..." he laughed to himself as he watched the Fairy Tail members scurry about below.

The little demon ran off in the opposite direction from the crowds, hopping down stacked boxes as it made its way out of the Magnolia town.

Eventually the small demon reached its destination far outside the city limits in a small forest. It hopped up on the shoulder of a man in a black robe adorned with a white sash and cape.

* * *

"ZEREF... I knew it... you were watching the tournament weren't you". Mavis who had followed the dark presence of the demon said after spotting the familiar face.

"I can neither hear nor see you. But I know... you are there, Mavis." Zeref replied confusing the small demon on his shoulder.

"7 Years ago, you were close to me..." Mavis said with concern  
"7 years ago, I was close to you..." Zeref calmly replied.

"Are you still searching for a place to die?" Mavis enquired as this was his goal last time she had seen him

"I've already decided on where I am going to die. Zeref calmly responded showing no emotion on the subject.

"I've lived for many centuries and watched the rise and fall of different ages..." Zeref continued "People hate and evil causes conflict... But I'm looking forward to a new age that will purify all of this."

"How many times has this happened... Where people make the same mistakes over and over again..." Zeref said disappointed.

"Even so... Humans will continue to live on." Mavis replied.

"In a sense, it's not really living. I'm no longer the existence you can love... known as man" Zeref released some death magic to prove his point killing the grass around him where he sat.

Mavis saddened by Zeref's words asked "You've decided to stop waiting?

Zeref standing up from the ground continued his point "On top of which... After mulling it over for seven years... I've reached a conclusion... If this world continues to reject me... then I shall reject the world."

"Fairy Tail will reaffirm the world." Mavis stated in defiance

"This will be a gift from me... Rebalancing and allowing this world to resurrect." Zeref said as he grew angrier

"Will this become another war?" Mavis asked looking at Zeref's change in demeanor.

"No. It will be a one-sided massacre... not a single soul shall be spared my wrath..." Zeref exclaimed

"Fairy Tail will stop you... The only one who will be Massacred... Is you..." Mavis exclaimed defiantly standing her ground.

The little demon looked at Zeref, confused by his one-sided conversation. As Zeref stood their proud of his declaration he felt a familiar pressence... A pressence he had not felt in 400 years.

Zeref looked up to his left as he saw a light pierce the clouds. Zeref's smile faded from his face as Citrine landed with force beside him; crushing the small companion Demon, killing it in an instant.

"So... This is where you ran off to... Citrine" Zeref calmly said but couldn't help grit his teeth.

"Obsidian... How has human life been... did you enjoy yourself as an insect" Citrine said glaring at Zeref, but she quickly noticed the familiar light of Mavis in front of him.

Citrine released a pulse of green light which made Mavis visible to her; also all the dying trees and grass in the area began to return to life and regrow.

"I see... was this the reason for your confidence Mavis?" Zeref said with a glare.

"This is your madness Obsidian, and I'm here to finish it" Citrine said showing signs of her anger.

"Well aren't you looking unhinged Citrine! I never thought you would hold a grudge this long." Zeref said with a grin.

"Your said, my giving power to humans was going to lead to our downfall... Yet in the end, who was it that destroyed Dragons? You! I will never forgive you for the destruction of the Dragon Race!" Citrine said as lightening erupted from her body destroying a number of trees behind her.

"Oh, are you planning to kill me now?" Zeref laughed with a large grin on his face as he stared down Citrine, who squinted her eyes slightly at him.

"I didn't think so. I know you are too scared to take it all in, that power! And If you do, my goal will be achieved with out me. But come to think of it, that would be even more satisfying to see, you destroy the humans you loved so much" Zeref said this with a sinister laugh, he had not been this excited in centuries.

"And what are you going to do about your beloved Acnologia? I've been able to persevere this long thanks to the agony of his soul, I've been feeding upon his despair." Zeref said as he tried to control his laughter but still beamed a wide grin at Citrine.

Citrine snapped, letting out a roar which levelled the entire forest they were standing in; the shockwave continued on, causing a nearby mountain to crumble completely into dust.

"YES! DO IT!" Zeref exclaimed with a mad look in his eye as he grinned defiantly in front of the Dragon, not showing any signs of fear.

Mavis was shocked by the destructive power of Citrine. She realising she had to step in quickly before it escalated further "Zeref, or is it Obsidian. You told me you wanted to die even before the Guardian of Light returned."

"Guardian?... Huh, what story have you been telling her Citrine! This will make things very interesting for the future." Zeref said now thoroughly excited.

"We won't have a future Obsidian, the Dragon Slayers will soon be ready! and then we can both die!" Citrine proclaimed.

"Dragon Slayers? Oh I've met your so-called Slayers, Natsu was quite amusing. He punched me the first time he saw me, he didn't even know who I was hahahaha" Zeref said unable to control his laughter as he continued "If that's an example of their power, then I don't know who they will be 'slaying'... you may need to change their name"

Citrine flashed her teeth before calming down "The time of Dragons will soon be over"

"Fine by me, I gave up on the Dragon race 400 years ago." Zeref said as he opened a rift behind him before continuing "A new power is rising... See you soon... Sister" Zeref stepped backwards through the rift, with it closing immediately behind him.

Mavis stared at Citrine's form, it was the first time she had seen it complete so she could now see the immense power she contained. But... there was something wrong with the picture, what she noticed was that Citrine's power far exceeded what a Dragon should posses.

Even as the Light Guardian Citrine's raw power was over five times that of the position... and the fact that Zeref wasn't even phased by this meant it was no surprise to him; and he called her 'Sister'... Mavis realised that Citrine was holding back quite a lot.

"I think we should talk..." Mavis said looking at Citrine.

"Why is the Pillar inside Fairy Tail?" Citrine immediately responded.

Mavis was visible shaken by Citrine's words... Mavis quickly tried to think of a way out of the situation (What how could she know?! How do I answer that... If I...)

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Citrine said losing patience.

Mavis soon realised that denial was futile, as she prepared to level with the Dragon.


	20. The Light Pillar

Citrine in her Dragon form stared at a reluctant Mavis, who prepared to answer her question.

Mavis was confused how Citrine had discovered in 1 day what had been a secret Fairy Tail had kept for over 100 years.

* * *

"I guess there is no point trying to deny what you already know..." Mavis said looking at Citrine.

Citrine squinted her eyes as she stared at Mavis.

"Fairy Tail has been guarding the Light Pillar for the last 120 years... Only the Masters are aware of its existence" Mavis reluctantly said

"But, you haven't been entirely truthful either... have you Citrine" Mavis said trying divert some attention away.

"I almost lost control when I came close to the building in town" Citrine replied.

"But why? you shouldn't have had any reaction to it, as the Guardian of Light..." Mavis said as she studied Citrine.

"Resonance" Citrine replied, Mavis' eyes widened to her answer.

"Resonance? You shouldn't resonate with the Pillar." Mavis replied

"Why do you have MY PILLAR?" Citrine exclaimed, her patience running thin

"Your Pillar?" Mavis stopped and very quickly became terrified

"I'm the Light Pillar, I'm no guardian" Citrine responded

"You... You're one of the Dragons that was lost to legend. The God Slayers!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Yes, Obsidian and I. We were the Pillar Guardians you are referring to, however, we eventually defied that purpose and instead consumed the power of the pillars we were entrusted to guard." Citrine replied.

"So that's why you resonate with the pillar because your body effectively is a giant pillar." Mavis said as she now understood the issue.

"But why did you say you would die with Obsidian? Zeref was similar 7 years ago as he was searching for a way to die." Mavis said.

"Leaving him trapped in his human form for the last 400 years, seemed to opened his eyes to what I had seen... Natsu also gave me some information about Zeref's sadness 7 years ago." Citrine sighed

"However, he has reverted to his old destructive self; from what I heard of his side of the conversation before I arrived." Citrine said gritting her teeth

"You did predict the war was coming, sorry you had to be right" Mavis said with sadness.

"Because he was so intent on war I revealed myself. Now that Obsidian knows I'm here, and that I am fully manifest, he wont make any rash moves as I alone could crush anything he had likely planned until now. But he will adapt his strategy, so I have probably bought humanity at the very least 6 months." Citrine declared

"So we have 6 months to prepare" Mavis said as she started to devise strategies in her head

"Obsidian mentioned he was done with Dragons, which isn't surprising since he made sure of that 400 years ago, so his likely going to be using Demons for the humans, and Acnologia to try to repel me." Citrine said as she thought about the situation.

"It's not that Acnologia is a threat to me physically, it's that I can't kill him with out absorbing his power. That is why I need to instead get involved with the Dragon Slayers development, allowing them to reach their full potential in months instead of years." Citrine proclaimed before showing signs of worry.

"I also have an alternative that before now I wasn't too keen on. But with Obsidian's declaration of war, there is no longer time for doubt..." Citrine said taking a breath before continuing.

"I will forge an armor set for Erza, and use my power to permanently boost her Magic Capacity to the levels required to wield it." Citrine proclaimed knowing she was opening Pandora's box.

"Erza has proven herself to be a wonderful wizard, and her sense of justice and loyalty is Exemplary, but what do you mean by Slayer Armor?" Mavis said showing pride in Erza's actions.

"The armor and weapons will be the embodiment of One-Magic. Magic Slayer Armor" Citrine proclaimed.

"The capabilities of such an armor set would make the wielder almost invincible" Mavis exclaimed worried of the repercussions

"She will be the Pandora and the Apex predator of the Light in this war. It's why forging an armor set of that calibre is not something I considered lightly" Citrine said with a nod to reassure herself.

"Now that I know the Light Pillar is at Fairy Tail, I'll have to recalibrate my magical seals to account for its presence. However, it being here is fortuitous as I can use it to stabilize my form and with it Obsidian is rendered obsolete.

"Would that weaken you?" Mavis asked as she considered the loss of energy.

"No the power that makes me unstable now is magic I have no control over, it is represented by the lightning arching over my body which is involuntary. It is power I can no longer contain inside my body and that excess power is what I can deposit back into the light pillar."

"That Pillar changes the result of this war, it no longer requires the mutual destruction of both Obsidian and I, his terror can end with him alone." Citrine said this with a hope that radiated outward, Mavis feeling it's warmth, smiled.

"But how did you end up with the pillar? after I consumed its power and in the calamity of war that followed I thought it lost to time." Citrine asked puzzled how it had shown up now.

"A fairy found it" Mavis replied.

"Eh?" Citrine said confused

"My people, we found the pillar on an island south-east of Fiore, it came up out of a fissure during a volcanic eruption 200 years ago. We identified it as the Light Pillar as it reacted to our radiance, so we have protected it ever since."

"Your people?.. Heh I see... That's why I couldn't figure you out. I assumed you were a human, but because you have already passed on I had only your magical essence to analyse." Citrine said with a smile.

Mavis grinned before saying "I guess we both kept our true natures from each other, but now we have the whole picture. Let's work together from here on out, we have to protect the world from the coming shadow." Mavis extended her hand out as a sign of friendship towards Citrine.

"Yes, I just hope I didn't scare Magnolia too much. I was able to get away before my seals broke so no one would be hurt by my magical presence. However, I'm sure they would've been quite terrified, when I lost my control I'm pretty sure I screamed as a Dragon, which would've translated into a rather loud Dragon Roar..." Citrine said quite worried of the situation especially what Lucy must have thought.

"Well, only one way to find out right?" Mavis said with a smile tipping her head slightly to one side

"Your right... I'll repair my seals and head back to Lucy, it may take me all night to do though but I'll return tomorrow. When you go back, please let them know I am okay, and that I am coming back, I need to apologise to my daughter for making her worry." Citrine said as she showed some humility.

"I will inform Lucy that you are alright, but ill keep the particulars between us. Ok." Mavis said as she cheerfully floated back towards Magnolia town.

Citrine took off to look for a nearby cave to hide out for the night as she was done scaring the locals.

* * *

"I hope Momma is ok" Lucy said as her head lay on the bar of the recently refurbished Guild hall.

Mirajane was tending the bar as usual so decided to chime in hearing lucy's worried mumblings "Did something happen to Layla?

"I was walking with her near the guild hall yesterday and she fell ... I'll... She had to leave" Lucy said trying to be as vague as possible.

"Oh so the Dragon roar the townspeople claimed to hear was Citrine?" Mirajane replied with a reassuring smile.

"Huh!?" Lucy said but realising that there was no point hiding it decided to level "Yeah, she complained of a headache as she got closer to the guild, she flew off in a hurry and I haven't seen her since" Lucy said as she went back to laying on the bar depressed.

"I've seen her" an overly happy familiar voice said

"What? you have First?" Lucy said excited but at the same time terrified knowing she was most likely a Dragon.

"Yes, I saw her late yesterday afternoon, she said she had some trouble with a seal or something and would be back in no time!" Mavis said with a cheerful smile.

"And when you saw her... did she look... O...K?" Lucy asked but Mavis immediately knew what she was getting at.

"Looked fine to me" Mavis quickly replied showing no signs of worry.

"See Lucy that's good news" Mira said as she walked off to clean some wine glasses.

"Did you hear apparently something levelled a forest outside of town, and people claim the mountain nearby was also destroyed!" Romeo excitedly said entering the guild.

(and I'm depressed again) Lucy thought to herself overhearing the announcment.

"Wow do they know what did it?" Elfman asked before saying "It must've been a MAN"

"What who told you that nonsense, levelling a forest sure but a mountain that's rediculas" Macao said before saying "it was probably some drunk farmers imagination"

"Has there been any word Lucy?" Erza asked sitting down next to her at the bar.

"Well First said she saw her yesterday afterwards, and that she will be back soon. But based on what Romeo said, I don't know" Lucy responded ensuring to keep the Romeo part quiet.

"Well First isn't one to lie, especially when it comes to family" Makarov said popping up from behind the bar, which made Lucy's hair stand on end.

"M..M..Master! Um, how much do you know?!" Lucy asked scared of what he had overheard.

"First has spoken to me about it, and I can assure you from what she told me there is no doubt she saw your mother. So she should be back soon, when she returns we have a lot to discuss" Makarov said restoring confidence but with he couldn't help but show a deep concern towards the end.

"Well if your Mother meant us harm we would all be dead right, so looks like we are in the clear" Makarov said as he cheerfully walked off.

"What the hell kind of exit is that!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Don't worry Lucy, you're moms the toughest person I know" Natsu said as he sat down next to Lucy

"AYE!" Happy exclaimed backing up Natsu.

"That's not the kind of compliment most people hear about their mothers..." Lucy said not sure how to take it.

"Mmm, but it is a compliment, when I have children I hope they hear it regularly" Erza said with a nod

Lucy couldn't help but facepalm... but then she remembered what her mother had said... that when she grew up she would likely be the most powerful wizard in Earthland... she then started picturing children calling her tough as she walked passed them on the street... Lucy almost cried inside.

"Hey any word" Gray asked as he joined the group

"First said she will be back soon" Natsu replied

"Sounds like your mom is feeling better?" Wendy said overhearing Natsu's last response.

Lucy gave out a small sigh, before a familiar voice interupted.

"I could always keep you company to cheer you up Lucy, especially if you want to introduce me to your parents after all they should know their future son-in-law" Loke said appearing behind Lucy from a forced gate opening holding a bouquet of roses.

"Get away! I never said I'm marrying you!" Lucy exclaimed shooing loke back to the celestial realm.

Natsu began to sniff the air, noticing the familiar scent he started to smile. Lucy looked at him and her eyes began to grow wide, Natsu looked back at her and nodded, causing a large beaming smile to cross Lucy's face as she rushed out of the guild hall with the others shortly behind her.

"I'm sorry for worrying you... Lucy" Layla said as she stood in the entrance archway to the guild hall grounds.

Lucy ran into her Mother's arms hugging her "I was scared Momma, scared I wouldn't see you again..." she said as she couldn't help her eyes from welling up.

"It's ok, I just wasn't prepared for something in the environment here... It interfered with my magic seals so I had to get away to protect the town." Layla said trying to reassure Lucy that the problem has been fixed.

"Welcome back Layla you gave us a fright" Natsu said beaming a smile.

"You call that a fright" Gray exclaimed.

"Well there is nothing to be scared of, if what you guys say is true we would be dead before we could be scared, if Layla meant us harm" Erza said nodding.

"THAT'S NOT HELPING!" Wendy said freaking out with Carla.

"But in all seriousness where did you go, First said she saw you" Lucy asked curiously.

"I went to a forest outside of town..." Layla started to say before Lucy cut her off "Great it was you... so much for drunken farmers Macao"

"Hmm? Drunken farmers?" Layla said confused

"It's ok as long as your back" Lucy said as she held her mother.

"Well now that I'm back, feel like showing me around?" Layla said with a warm smile to the group

The group nodded as they felt their worry fade away, they all took a step back positioning themselves in a line in front of Layla with the hall behind them before they all announced in unison...

"Welcome to Fairy Tail"


	21. War Council

Citrine having spent the night adjusting her magic seals to account for the Pillar's presence, has returned to Fairy Tail in her now stable form of Layla.

Having been met upon return by Team Natsu, she is now receiving a tour of the Building.

* * *

"Wow this place is rather impressive, and it has such a warm inviting feeling" Layla said standing inside the hall.

"AYE!" Happy exclaimed.

Mira waved with a warm smile from behind the bar upon seeing Layla with the now happy Lucy.

"We have a library with lots of old books you should check out" Lucy said holding her mother's arm leading her out of the foyer

Layla could tell Lucy was quite excited about literature which pleased her so she accompanied her daughter to the small library.

"I'm glad you still enjoy literature Lucy" Layla said with a smile.

"It's my dream to become a famous writer some day. Fairy Tail has given me lots of great experiences that I wish to share with the world" Lucy responded with great fondness for her guild.

"I look forward to reading them" Layla said with a smile.

"Ah, Layla. Welcome to Fairy Tail" Makarov said interrupting the pair.

"It's a rather heart warming place" Layla responded.

"Lucy, could I borrow your Mother for a moment?" Makarov asked this nicely but showed signs that it wasn't a game which Lucy picked up on.

"It's ok Lucy I wouldn't mind getting to know your Guild Master some more" Layla said reassuring Lucy who showed some signs of worry.

The 2 exited the library to head to an upstairs office to talk in private. Lucy returned to her seat at one of the corner tables, as she awaited her mothers return.

Natsu and Wendy spotted Lucy sitting alone now and decided to join her to find out what was going on.

"Hey Lucy, Where's your Mom?" Natsu asked puzzled to see her alone.

"Oh she went to talk to Master in his office" Lucy replied.

"WOW! Master likes your Mom!" Happy said covering his mouth.

"It's not like that you damn cat!" Lucy said angrily.

"I don't know what they are talking about but Master gave the impression it was serious" Lucy replied with a sign

"Well I don't think your mother is in any trouble" Gray said as he sat down in his boxers.

"Gray's right Lucy" Erza said joining the group at the table

"I just get the feeling that something big is happening" Lucy said as she placed her head down.

* * *

Makarov sat down in a swivel armchair behind a large wooden desk in his office.

"Please take a seat Layla" Makarov said in a friendly manner.

"Thank you" Layla said this as she sat down.

Mavis appeared beside Layla holding her hand, Layla's eyes changed to blue and she fed a small trickle of energy to her to make things easier.

"So, that's what you did at the Banquet" Makarov said looking at the interaction.

"Yes, Because Mavis' spirit is of the light, I can reinforce it with my power giving her form for a small duration" Layla responded.

"You're power, Mavis' told me it is related to the Light Pillar." Makarov said slightly squinting as he stared at Layla.

Layla's eyes changed to purple as she looked towards its presence.

"Yes, I can see the pillar through the floor about 100 meters below my current location." Layla responded.

"WHAT!" Makarov said shocked that Layla was able to be so accurate.

"So I guess there is no point trying to tell you it isn't here... First didn't tell me the specifics of your relationship with the Pillar but did tell me that you 'had a reaction' to it when you first approached here" Makarov asked.

"It is probably best that I explain precisely who I am, this may help put everything into perspective" Layla said as she stared at Makarov. Mavis gave Makarov a nod, so he agreed to hear Layla out.

"Long Long ago... When the Original Titan's of creation were defeated by their Children God's... The young naïve God's tried their own hand at creation, siring the Race of Dragons. However their creation was flawed..."

"Due to their ignorance of balance, the Original Dragons were unstable, they could not manage the power they had and it was slowly expelled. The Dragons were unable to replenish their strength as insufficient sources existed in the world at the time, so they slowly began to perish."

"The Gods eventually realising this devised the Twin Pillars, the embodiment of Magic which would radiate and sustain their fledgling life they desired, as well as open the door to more creations. Of the Original Dragons, only 2 survived before the Pillar's were created. Those 2 Dragons because of their superiority over the lesser Dragons that followed were assigned the duty to Protect the Pillars of Creation."

"That means..." Makarov said showing signs of sweating.

"Yes." Layla replied before continuing "I was one of the Original's. I was assignment to the Light Pillar by the gods and my scales mutated in the presence of it's power, turning gold. This eventually lead to my name of Citrine."

"The other Original, my only surviving Brother, was assigned the Dark Pillar. His Scales absorbed the shadow it emitted and became black as night. His dark colouring earned him the name Obsidian." Layla explained.

"So you're one of 2 Original Dragons..." Makarov said rubbing his chin.

"The pillars themselves are neither good nor evil, however through outside influence and assumption by the Lesser Dragon Race. The more stable second generation the god's created having learnt their mistake, they took me as being the embodiment of Good, but ridiculed my brother as Evil."

"At that time Obsidian was quite caring and protective of the Lesser Dragons but after hearing the same assumption for centuries, he eventually began to act the part." Layla couldn't help but shed a tear at this.

"Because of this I begged the Gods to help Obsidian, but they had become complacent as they toiled with their new creation, Humans... Feeling abandoned both Obsidian and I defiantly consumed the power of the Pillars we were entrusted to protect."

Makarov Gasped at this revelation, while Mavis remained silent saddened by the circumstances.

"Before the Gods had realised this, we pre-emptively attacked them with the overwhelming power they had carelessly left us. We overthrew the Gods, but I was too late, the damage was done."

"Obsidian had already started his decent into madness, and was now fueled even more by the additional power he had gained. He began referring to himself as the Dark Dragon God and used his power to torture the gods last creation, Man."

"And this Obsidian now?" Makarov asked fearing his suspicions.

"He used his power to divide his essence which now resides in 2 different entities, but they are both linked consciously, Zeref and Acnologia."

Makarov fell back into his chair "The Black Wizard and The Dragon of Apocalypse.."

"Because of my consumption of the light pillars power, I resonate with the pillar below us, I wasn't prepared for its presence here in Magnolia so the seals on my power and Dragon Form came undone against my will. I was forced to flee the area to avoid casualties." Layla said with some shame

"Casualties? Would you lose control of your senses and attack the town?" Makarov said slightly worried that a ticking time-bomb was before him.

"No. Because of my unfathomable power, my magical pressure alone would decimate the town and kill all but the strongest lifeforms within 1KM of my unsealed form. It would not require me to actively attack the town." Layla replied, Makarov had gotten behind his chair and was cowering at the thought.

"But, Citrine didn't want that so she left the area, she wants to preserve life" Mavis said reassuringly as she defended Layla.

"Yes, after being forced into my Dragon Form, I circled the area in the sky but I eventually picked up on Obsidian's presence... I saw Zeref in a forest outside of town and with my acute sense of hearing, I was able to hear what sounded like the ramblings of a mad man having a 1 sided conversation with himself, but what I heard was his open declaration of war against the world."

"So Zeref is looking to start a new war..." Makarov said in deep thought of the situation.

"Yes, my confronting him putting a hold to his short-term plans, however at the least it will take him 6 months to adapt to my presence, so that is how long we have to prepare." Layla said laying it on the line.

"Hmm, and you are also taking an active role in this Mavis?" Makarov asked looking at the first master.

"Yes, but I lack information to work with at this time, Acnologia we are aware of but Zeref has his other cards to play" Mavis said with concern.

"Demons..." Makarov said echoing Mavis' thoughts.

"Acnologia is a force I can take out of the equation once he shows up, but it will take some time preparing the Dragon Slayers. I can refine their power considerably, helping them realise their true potential. This will result in the removal of the Acnologia piece from the board."

"I also have the power to aid in the developement of the human wizards expanding their magical affinity. This should offer some relief against the Demons." Layla said offering a course of action.

"You can do that?" Mavis said surprised

"Yes, it is similar to how Second Origin allows the caster to have a reserve source of mana. However, what I would do is increase the throughput itself, allowing them to both expend and replenish their mana more quickly and efficiently. The result would vary, but you could assume twice the throughput of power and probably 3x the magical replenishment" Layla said clarifying.

"Hmm that would push a number of Fairy Tail Wizards into Saint territory for power. It would help, but they would need to master their new power or it would lead to more destruction and ultimately be counter productive to our cause." Makarov said as he thought about his wayward children mastery of magic and how they already destroy buildings casually...

"I will need to inform the magic council of the looming threat, so that they can have other wizard guilds prepare." Makarov said

"I have access to a small pocket dimension I created for personal use and storage, but because of the flow of time inside it, it can serve as an ideal training ground for Fairy Tail without endangering the public, it also will be out of sight of any spies that Obsidian may use." Layla suggested.

"You created a Dimension?" Mavis asked surprised by this revelation.

"Yes, I guess even I couldn't help but try my hand at creation after destroying the gods, but I had the foresight to do it on a lower scale than sentient life, instead I mastered space and time manipulation as well as healing and reinforcing magic." Layla proclaimed

"I'll create a stable doorway to the dimension for use inside your hall. It will be shielded completely and using Mavis' example, ill make it invisible to those that do not bear the Fairy Tail insignia which will act as a key." Layla smiled at Mavis

"I must admit it took me longer then it should to figure you out Mavis" Layla said with a grin.

"Are there any downsides to this pocket dimension of yours?" Makarov asked being a concerned parent.

"I would suggest people try to limit their exposure to a week inside at a time, it isn't that it is hurtful physically, it will just ensure they remain firmly grounded in the reality of Earthland and its flow of time."

"From the perspective of someone here in the hall, anyone passing through the gate should return about 2 hours after they leave, the flow of time is 90:1 so 2 hours here is 180 hours there or just over 1 week. If the person has not returned after 3 hours, I will... retrieve them" Layla said this with a slightly evil grin.

"I'll create lodgings inside the dimension and appropriate amenities for various magical training. However I will forego creating any form of living creatures for them to fight, instead I would recommend partnered or team sparing if they wish to test themselves in combat." Layla added with a nod.

"Sounds like it will be quite useful and it will take the edge off the deadline of 6 months." Makarov said before adding "Ill organise the guild into sub groups that can rotate in and out of the space when it is available"

"I have 1 request in that regards, I wish to have all the first generation Dragon Slayers Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel as well as Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet and My daughter Lucy teamed together."

"Their training I will be taking a personal interest in." Layla asked as she had plans for the six of them.

"That should be perfectly fine, the group in question works well together so that isn't a problem." Makarov said agreeing to Layla's terms.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss while you have me here separated from the group?" Layla asked opening herself to the floor.

"As an Original Dragon... Is there anything about Lucy we should know?" Makarov asked wondering if Lucy was a Dragon also.

"Lucy... is Human. However... currently I have placed seals on her power which I will be removing over the next 6 months. When complete she may well be one of the most powerful Wizards in Earthland." Layla responded truthfully.

Mavis' eyes widened at the scale of power Lucy must have.

"I see, Well your daughter shows no signs for concern and her attitude has been a shining example for Fairy Tail publicly. I'm sure with your guidance she will be an exemplary wizard"

"Well I guess we best inform the guild that we will be organising training groups, probably no point scaring them with the reasoning just yet." Makarov announced to the group.

"I'll finish a stable doorway for Fairy Tail's use in the next day or two, but for the remainder of today I'm going to spend it with my daughter." Layla said standing up from her chair.

Mavis' simply smiled at the two before trying to leave via a side wall, however she crashed into it forgetting that she was corporeal.

Layla giggled before saying "Remember you are corporeal for now, but it will wear off in about 10 minutes"

Mavis' quickly opened the door and rushed outside at the reminder of this.

"Why do I get the feeling she has gone to eat..." Layla said slightly embarrassed.

Makarov just sighed before saying "You know I could just make you a member of Fairy Tail... that way you wouldn't need to feed her power"

Layla thought about it for a bit "I wouldn't really be able to do any jobs or anything of the like, however I could join under the tertiary role of magical development advisor or something along those lines I'm sure you can come up with something appropriate"

"That shouldn't be an issue" Makarov grinned before adding "Welcome to FairyTail, to get a stamp see MiraJane down stairs"

"Oh I'll come up with something... Fitting to signify my membership, ill just analyse the stamps magic ill need it to code the doorway anyway" Layla grinned a mischievous smile which Makarov couldn't help but wonder what she was up to

Layla got up out of her seat to head downstairs to meet Mira, before she left however she stopped at the door before opening it "I'd like to visit the Pillar in about 1 weeks time, but for now keep it safe" she then opened the door and continued on her way back to the Foyer.

Makarov let out a small sigh as he thought about everything that was to come and how much bigger his job just got. However once he realised this he couldn't help but get mad before exclaiming "This is why I should-be retired! GILDARTS!" as he flailed about in his chair.

* * *

"Momma your back!" Lucy said excitedly as she spotted Layla come down the stairs with a smile.

"So did everything go Ok with master?" Gray asked noticing that Layla seemed happy.

"Oh yes everything went well, I'm going to be joining" Layla said with a smile.

"WHAT?!" the room said upon hearing this as they all stared at Layla in shock.

Mirajane waved at Layla beckoning her to the Bar at the same time Makarov appeared on the upper floor balcony.

"OK that's enough!" he exclaimed getting the rooms attention.

"I'd like to take this moment to introduce the newest member of our family, this is Layla Heartfilia." Makarov said pointing at Layla which no one needed as they were all well aware.

"She is going to be joining us in a similar capacity to Porlyusica, and will be filling the role of Magical Development Advisor" as Makarov said this he gave a thumbs up to Layla who didn't think he would use the name she came up with on the fly.

"Layla will be offering her help to guide you all to reach your potential, so those of you that wish to grow stronger as wizards, would do well to head her advice." Once again Makarov flashed a thumbs up causing Layla to facepalm.

"Well any case Treat her with the respect you would show me, as she has the power to kill us all... that is all!" Makarov disappeared from his place on the balcony back to his office.

"Best introduction ever!" Natsu exclaimed  
"AYE!" Happy agreed  
"I can't believe he said that" Lucy said as she face palmed.

"I look forward to working with her" Erza said with her arms crossed giving a nod.  
"Lucy's Mom is wise like Grandine, im sure she will do whats best for us" Wendy said.  
"Well im not against it" Gray added.

"Hell yeah, Citrine will make us strong" Gajeel said from a nearby table.  
"That was one MANLY introduction, SHE'S A MAN!" Elfman proclaimed

"Wait, how am I a man" Layla said to herself confused at the bar

"That's just Elfman's way" Mirajane said from the bar "Where would you like your stamp?" she asked proudly raising it.

"Ah I don't actually need the stamp itself I just need a look at it, I have some plans for it" As Layla said this her eyes turned Blue and she stared at the Stamp then they changed to purple and she looked at it for another couple of seconds before proclaiming "All done"

"Wait what did you do?" Mira said confused.

"I analysed its magical signature aswell as the design that way I can incorporate it into my Dragon Form" Layla said with a smile.

"Scary" Mira said as she put the stamp back down under the bar.

"Oh would you like to see?" Layla asked innocently

"What now? in here?" Mira said worried that Layla was suggesting turning into a Dragon inside the building.

"Oh it's perfectly safe, I don't need to show much so it wont effect anyone" Layla said as she turned walking back towards the open area of floor in front of the stage.

"Hmm whats wrong Momma?" Lucy said noticing that Layla was approaching their table.

"Oh I just analysed the stamp so I made some... adjustments to incorporate it. I was going to show it to you all" Layla responded.

"Adjustments?" Gray asked confused

"Oh I just personalized it you will see" Layla said this as she closed her eyes.

A green fire engulfing her body in the centre of the hall as the Fairy Tail wizards starred on in shock. Lightening cracked with in the flames that reminded some of them of Natsu's Lightening Fire Dragon Mode but it was short-lived as the fire dissipated to reveal Layla with her Citrine wings.

On the center of each wing was a glowing Fairy Tail insignia made of pure green fire and above her head, at a point suspended between the highest tips of her wings was a Fairy tail symbol made of pure lightening.

"THAT'S AWESOME! FAIRYTAIL DRAGON!" Natsu yelled in excitement.

The rest of Fairy Tail couldn't help but be in awe of the sight, they had been terrified of the idea of her joining and being a dragon, but seeing this seemed to strike a chord with them all.

"NOW THAT'S MAN!" Elfman proclaimed  
"I have to admit that is pretty cool Momma" Lucy said with a smile

"WOW" Romeo exclaimed standing on a bench staring at the sight

The rest of Fairy Tail broke out in cheer and applause, Makarov looked down from the second floor at Layla's display with Mavis floating nearby him giving him a smile.

"A Fairy Tail Dragon... I never thought I would see the day..." Makarov said unable to contain his pride as the burning symbols radiated warmth in their proximity.

"It's a new age for Fairy Tail 3rd" Mavis said with a beaming smile as she floated off.


	22. Training Hall

2 Days have passed since Layla's acceptance into Fairy Tail, she had spent all the previous day altering the Training Dimension and constructing an enchanted gateway to allow entrance for Fairy Tail Members.

Having spoken to Makarov of the doorways completion, he decided that for the first trip there and to best explain the situation all present members would enter the dimension to get a feel for it.

* * *

"So what were you working on all day yesterday? I hardly saw you Momma" Lucy asked as they walked along the road heading towards the Fairy Tail Building.

"Oh you remember that rift I created back in the palace for my dimension, where I took you and the Dragon Slayers to? Well I have created a stable doorway for its use with in the guild as a new Training Hall." Layla said with a smile

"Wow you're giving everyone in the guild access?" Lucy said surprised by the generous offer.

"Yes, I had discussed the possibility of it earlier with Makarov and Mavis. So with the finished doorway I'm opening it to the guild, I even was able to use Mavis' essence as a template to make it invisible to everyone except members with the official Fairy Tail Insignia." Layla said with pride.

"Wow" Lucy exclaimed as it all sounded rather impressive.

"I also added more suitable accommodation and facilities for training, but it came at the cost of reduced time compression, so instead of being 90 days to 1 day like the Celestial Realm, it is now down to 30:1 but that is still more than plenty."

"There is an upside to that change though; people can now spend the full month in there safely as the time compression will be less strenuous. This should result in more complete training regiments for members." Layla said raising her finger in the air like she was writing on an invisible blackboard.

"I cant wait to see what you have done with the place" Lucy said tilting her head back to look at the sky.

"I'm sure you will find it quite adequate. I even spoke to the Spirit King after I stabilized the doorway, with his help we were able to create a bridge between the 2 plains, meaning you can call your Celestial Spirits" Layla said with a big grin on her face as this wasn't easy to do but it was a gift to her daughter.

Lucy Smiled excitedly at this revelation as she happily balanced along the edge of the road near the river.

* * *

The pair arrived at the Guild Hall. Layla split up from Lucy so that she could announce the dimension to the other members who had all, except Gildarts gathered on Makarov's orders.

"OK Everyone please quiet down, Layla has been kind enough to organise a gift for us all, so give her your undivided attention... Layla" Makarov announced to the room as he passed their attention to Layla.

"Hello everyone. Although I haven't been with the guild very long, I had spoken to Makarov... I mean 'Master' as well as First Master Mavis about the possibility of adding a 'Training Hall' of sorts to the Guild." Layla said before continuing.

"Well I'm pleased to announce I have finished my work on it and it will now be available for use by all Fairy Tail members. To avoid outside interference I have shielded the doorway and it is coded to your Guild Insignia's in a similar fashion to the ability to see the First." as Layla said this Mavis waved to the group.

"Doorway?" some of the members muttered to themselves before Laxus asked "Where is this Training room located?"

"That's a perfectly reasonable question Laxus. The training room is housed in a personal Dimension I created with a time dilation of 30:1 Earthland. 1 day here in Earthland is equal to 30 days there, so you can do a months worth of training in the span of 1 normal day."

"That sounds amazing!" random people muttered to themselves as they planned their training regiments.

"I have created suitable lodgings there as well as a number of facilities and areas to train in specific schools of magic... If you would all please tap your guild insignia's twice and redirect your eyes towards the left of the stage."

"As each member did this a very noticable doorway appeared against the back wall of the hall, it had a Maginium frame similar to the eclipse gate and stood 2 meters in height and 1 meter in width."

"AMAZING" people exclaimed as it came into view.  
"That's some fine magic" others commented  
"And it's for Fairy Tail only?" another section said in surprise.

"Lucy, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy have all accompanied me to the dimension in the past, so they can attest to its legitimacy. I have however made some improvements on the doorway there since then, so unlike their trip the passage will be less turbulent" Layla said with a small laugh at the end.

"If you would all come with me through the doorway I will explain the particulars that are best seen for yourselves" As Layla said this she made her way over to the door but an over excited Natsu quickly shot passed her through the portal.

"Well I guess Natsu is going first... Well if the rest of you could please follow me in an orderly fashion, I recommend not running like Natsu, as you will see why on the other side"

* * *

As the other members all emerged from the gate into the dimension they all pointed and laughed at Natsu who had managed to knock himself out as he had hit a nearby tree on the other side of the gate; the entrance had been relocated to exit out near the mountain that had the cabin which Natsu was not aware of.

All the members looked around in amazement as the saw what looked like a copy of FairyHills for resting accommodation. Looking out over the green field in front of it, they could see mountains with snow to the left, an arena like pit in the center and a small ocean beach surrounded by dense forest on the right, a noticable river also weaved off the beach area across the land, with a small desert like location in the background.

The wisps of blue air still covered the area to offer general healing for people as they trained, however Layla had modified them to not replenish energy so that people could learn their limits, so that they may exceed them.

"OK I hope you like the place, the blue pockets of wind you see in the background function like Wendy's Sky Magic Healing, so any physical damage incurred will be readily repaired... before I continue please don't punch each other like what Gajeel and Natsu did the first time they were here."

As Layla said this all the members of Fairy Tail stared at Natsu and Gajeel who were doing just that again... they all let out a sigh.

"As some of you may not be aware I have the ability to analyse your magic as well as magic capacity and power. I however cannot always be available to tell you where you stand so I have created a device of sorts that will give you that information and display it on a board for you to read." Layla said proudly

"I got this idea from a recording of the Grand Magic Games, that showed a device called an MPF which could register magical power. I have however expanded on the functionality."

As Layla said this she clapped creating a board similar to an electronic notice board appear, it's design was indeed similar to the MPF used in the Grand Magic Tournament only wider.

All you need do is place your hand against the board and a general readout will be displayed. The idea is to give you a general summary of your progress so you can see where you have improved and what potentially is left to work on...

As im sure there is no stopping him, Natsu could you please go first.

Natsu came running over to the Board and quickly pressed his open palm against it before dancing back n forth in excitement as it analysed him. after about 5 seconds numbers appeared.

==================  
Mana Capacity 792/1024  
Reserve Capacity 348/512

Power 1/10  
Speed 2/10  
Endurance 3/10  
Defense 2/10

Current Max Output 4111  
Currently Unlocked 20%  
Current Rating: Poor  
=================

Natsu almost cried from shock as the rest of Fairy Tail laughed.

"What's the meaning of this!" Natsu said angrily looking at Layla.

"Ok, As funny as this appears, the above is not a bad thing. What it actually indicates is that Natsu has significantly large quantities of natural untapped potential. So right now based on the above, with Natsu's power his attacks are only 10% of what they could be... so please take that into consideration"

"WHAT!" everyone exclaimed  
"HE'S A MONSTER!" others added  
"HAHA! IM FIRED UP!" Natsu proclaimed lighting his fist on fire.

"Whats that 'current max output 4111' mean." Levy asked

"Oh that, that is the maximum amount of damage Natsu can inflict with his current statistics in a single attack" Layla proclaimed.

"Is that like a MPF reading?" Cana asked

"Yes exactly the same" Layla responded.

"HAHAHA! NATSU I'M STRONGER!" Cana exclaimed as she took a swig from a flask!

"Wait but didn't you only get that because you cheated with first?" Levy asked

"Shhh don't tell him that" Cana replied as Natsu sulked in depression.

"Mind if I give it a try?" Erza asked

"Please do, it would be nice to have a basis of comparison" Layla responded

Erza placed her hand up against the board and after 5 seconds new information appeared.

==================  
Mana Capacity 1555/2048  
Reserve Capacity 1024/1024

Power 8/10  
Speed 7/10  
Endurance 9/10  
Defense 8/10

Current Max Output 7187  
Currently Unlocked 80%  
Current Rating: Excellent  
=================

"WOW!" Everyone exclaimed  
"Thats amazing Erza" others exclaimed  
"That max output puts you into wizard saint territory" Makarov exclaimed.

"Why don't you give it a try Master?" Lucy said excitedly.  
"Oh it's ok I'm sure it wouldn't be that good" Makarov said trying to dismiss the idea.

"Come on Gramps, give it a go" Luxus said with a smile.

Makarov caved to the pressure and placed his hand on the board 5 seconds later the new information populated.

==================  
Mana Capacity 8192/8192  
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048

Power 10/10  
Speed 7/10  
Endurance 5/10  
Defense 9/10

Current Max Output 31187  
Currently Unlocked 96%  
Current Rating: EXPERT  
=================

"WHAT!" Gray said his jaw ajar  
"31000!" everyone exclaimed  
"The MPF exploded at 9999 with Cana and this thing is saying master is over 3x that" Natsu said with excitement

"Well don't get too excited I'm sure there is someone here who would do better" Makarov said with a smile as he looked at Layla.

"This is designed to help you all. The readings are not a competition as they will only benefit the individual" Layla said shying away from it.

"Come on Momma whats the worst that can happen" Lucy said with excitement

"Well you may all be scared of me" Layla said in response

"What we know you're a Dragon so it should be high don't worry about it" Erza said trying to lighten the mood.

"This should be interesting" Gajeel said with the other Slayers all looking on with anticipation.

Lucy grabbed her mother's hand and placed it against the board when she wasn't paying attention.

"Wait! Lucy, NO!" Layla exclaimed but it was already too late the board updated with her information...


	23. Pandora's Box

Lucy had just placed Layla's hand against the Magic Analysis Board against her will, and her information was now revealed for all of the Members to see.

* * *

"Wha... what is this..." the group said in shock of the new numbers

===================  
Mana Capacity 92160/92160  
Reserve Capacity 30720/30720

Power 10/10  
Speed 10/10  
Endurance 10/10  
Defense 10/10

Current Max Output 1479222  
Currently Unlocked 100%  
Current Rating: DESTROYER  
===================

"1.4 MILLION!" Natsu Exclaimed.

"What the hell kind of attack would be 1.4 million?" Gray said in a panic.

Everyone else was in shock including Makarov.

Layla said nothing as a tear rolled down her cheek, she didn't want them to know the extent of her power, as it could only lead to fear with to the over-simplified information the board could display.

Mavis floated down beside Layla and placed her hand on her shoulder in support, she shook her head at group in disappointment as it was not the Fairy Tail way to ridicule comrades.

"Okay, well we had our fun with the board, and let's be honest people, you can't be surprised look around you, she MADE this place with her magic!" Makarov said calming the group down.

"Yes, that's enough of the board." Layla said as reset its display back to it's initial input.

"I believe Master Makarov has devised groups for you all to train in, it's probably easier to not have more than 2 groups here at a time and we don't want to leave Fairy Tail empty back in Earthland." Layla said as she left the group to Makarov.

"OK groups will be basically what you already trained in leading up to the games, the only variation is Gajeel, who will be grouped with the other slayers Natsu and Wendy. But for now we will all be returning to Earthland where we can organise a rotation, so please everyone follow me." Makarov announced before he turned to face back at the doorway.

Makarov lead the majority of Fairy Tail back to the portal the only exceptions were the key group of Erza, Gray, Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel who stuck around with Layla.

"You ok Momma?" Lucy asked concerned for Layla who had gone quiet.  
"Mmm, I'm fine, just bad memories" Layla said  
"I'm sorry I asked Layla" Gray said  
"No, it's ok Gray, you only said what everyone else was thinking" Layla said.

"Seriously though 1.4 million is insane" Erza said bluntly ignoring the mood.  
"Well it definately wasn't used against a Dragon, that's way overkill" Natsu said

"Long ago, in my anger, I was no better than Obsidian. I used my power to destroy a God" Layla said as a tear ran down her face.

"God? like God Slaying Magic? Like Chelia?" Wendy said.

"Yes Obsidian and I created God Slaying magic, but what I used was not wind... it was... Death" Layla said in regret

"Natsu you have seen similar magic first hand, with Zeref" Layla said as she stared at Natsu

"Long ago before Obsidian became the embodiment of evil, he was caring but was picked on because of his colour, they would call him evil even though he was gentle, but eventually he started to believe it himself."

"I pleaded with the gods of the time to change his colour to prevent the ridicule he was receiving as it was starting to affect him, but they ignored us. Obsidian and I in our rage attacked them."

"Wow that's pretty full on, you had a wild streak in your teens" Gajeel said

Layla couldn't help but smile at Gajeels out of left field comment.

"There is nothing you can do about the past now, so no point dwelling on it. What's done is done." Erza said to add to Gajeel's stance.

"Oh yes Erza I almost forgot." Layla said as she stood up shaking off her worries.

"Hmm? Yes?" Erza replied.

"I had a chance to make the armor and weapons for you. Would you like to see them? I'll have to help you with them currently but with some training you will be able to use them on your own." Layla said

"I'd be honored to try them for you" Erza said

"I have to admit another reason I'm suggesting this is because everyone else has left, it's not something I'd like used out in the open so we can run an initial test in secret now."

As she said that Mavis floated down beside her and smiled.

"Mavis is fine she already knows" Layla added as the others were panicking thinking they had been sprung.

Layla clapped her hands revealing a stand with 2 swords 1 long 1 short and the armor itself mounted on the rack.

Erza with 0 modesty started taking her clothes off to try the armor on before Lucy stopped her. "What?" Erza said confused as Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray all had nosebleeds.

"Ok I can see where this is going" Layla clapped again creating a wall around Erza to conceal her.

After a couple of minutes Erza exited the concealment wall to reveal the full armor and Dual blades.

The 2 swords both designed like Gladius, however 1 was almost twice the length of the other, suggesting a finesse fighting style involving dual-wield with a parry and counter attack focus.

The armor itself didn't look very different from her Heart Kreuz Armor which was deliberate to conceal the power it possessed, the only noticeable change was that the armor was white. There was an odd golden square plate in the centre covering most of her chest area, and there were 2 gold crossed sword insignias on the shoulder-pads.

"Ok, how does the armor feel, keeping in mind it isnt activated yet so its more just the general fit you could answer for now" Layla asked to see if her assumed measurements were correct.

"The fit seems fine but despite its looks, it is significantly heavier then I'm used to, it's as heavy as my Adamantine Armor which causes issues for overall mobility" Erza responded.

"That's ok it will actually get lighter in a sec, I'm going to feed you the power you would require to wield it, which will activate the enchants I bestowed upon it."

Layla's eyes turned Blue as she placed her hand on Erza's back and released a stream of energy into her.

After a few seconds the Golden symbols on her shoulder-pads began to glow with a fiery yellow vapour rising from them. The general shape of the armor also tightened and expanded in areas, as it contoured itself to Erza's body shape resulting in a tailored fit. Eventually, the once odd square plate in the centre of her chest changed shape becoming a perfect Golden Fairy Tail insignia which also had fiery yellow vapour rising out of it.

Layla took her hand off Erza's back after seeing the insignia change as that signified its attunement to Erza. With the release of Layla's hand the armor became completely weightless much to Erza's surprise.

"This is quite odd, the armor is as light as my Robe of Yuen or Flight Armor but it is a full plate design... this feeling will take some getting used to" Erza said.

Layla giggled "Good that's how it should be, the metal is actually Maginium I took from the Eclipse Gate but I have reinforced it with powerful magic enchantments which will bolster your magical statistics, to best prove this point, try placing your hand on the Magic Analyser."

Erza walked over to the board and placed her hand on it but was shocked when the readout appeared.

==================  
Mana Capacity 18429/2048  
Reserve Capacity 5133/1024

Power 99/10  
Speed 99/10  
Endurance 99/10  
Defense 99/10

Current Max Output 98172  
Currently Unlocked 898%  
Current Rating: Pandora  
==================

"What?" Erza said in surprise as she looked at Layla

"Wait how is it over 100% and what the hell is with that max output" Gajeel exclaimed.

"What is this armor?" Erza asked.

"I call it... Pandora. Named after Pandora's box, because when it is unleashed it will have the power to change the world" Layla said with seriousness.

"This... This is too much, I'm not sure if I should have this" Erza said as it was beyond what she had imagined.

"It isn't all about power, in fact that is a small part of what it is capable of, It's primary function is defense and protection of those around you, let me demonstrate..." Layla said as she walked over and stood 10 meters to Erza's left.

Natsu could you please attack me with your Fire Roar. Erza you don't even need to move or react just watch so you can better understand.

"Are you sure about that? Do you need to release any seals or anything?" Natsu asked

"No it will be fine, it's just a demonstration."

"OK" Natsu took a deep breath... "FIRE DRAGONS ROAR!"

The pillar of fire flew towards Layla but when it was 10 meters out it sharply arced and instead struck Erza head on

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed

"How did it hit Erza?" Gray said in confusion

"That's just like when I redirected Laxus' lightning with my metal" Gajeel responded.

"But what of Erza?!" Lucy said worried for her friend.

"I'm fine, in fact I feel odd" Erza responded.

The group looked at Erza who was standing there completely unscathed, the only noticable difference was what looked like white embers floating around her.

"Gajeel and Wendy, could you also please attack Erza with your Roars, once again don't bother doing anything Erza" Layla said with a smile

Shortly there after both Gajeel and Wendy's Dragon Roars hit Erza's position and completely dissipated into a few more white embers.

"What is this? A shield barrier?" Erza said confused at how she is completely unscathed and the fact she didn't even feel the attacks at all.

"Everyone, please freely attack Erza with your magic a bit more, just stand there and let the shield do it's work Erza" Layla said with a grin as everyone started throwing attacks at Erza which all dissipated a meter from her as they struck an invisible shield

"OK, looks like she has gathered enough power to make this interesting... Erza with your short sword could you please point towards that mountain to your left, focus your mind on releasing your magic to attack it like shooting a magical arrow" Layla said with a mischeivous grin

"O..K" Erza said still slightly confused she raised her sword pointing it towards the nearby mountain and then said "Attack". As she said this all the white embers circling her body all converged on and entered the bottom of her short sword's hilt.

A thin yellow beam of light shot out from the sword's blade like a laser instantaneously striking the mountain. A massive shockwave of air flew back at the group of wizards, all of which except Erza and Layla had to brace themselves to not fly away.

When the smoke cleared on the mountain revealing the point of impact a gigantic chunk of it was missing and the attack had visibly passed through the mountain behind the one she was aiming at also, carving a circular hole through both.

"WOW" Wendy, Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu exclaimed their eyes wide in shock  
"WHAT WAS THAT!" Lucy said angrily looking at her Mother

"Did... I just do that?" Erza said shocked at the devastation.

Layla gave a smile "Looks like ranged offense is working correctly"

"How did I do that?" Erza said looking at Layla.

"What that armor set does, is convert all offensive magic attacks regardless of type into raw energy and stores it in the armor, this is visibly seen by the white embers around you. So all the attacks everyone did to you the armor deconstructed them, converting the energy into a separate pool of mana than your own, which you can expend as desired."

"That's Amazing" Erza replied as she looked back at the hole created in the mountain.

"Using the swords you can choose to either enhance your attacks with the power gathered or release it all into a range attack like just seen. Alternatively, you even have the ability to release a wave of Earth Magic to heal nearby allies."

"The function is similarly to Wendy's Sky Healing but it is not channelled, instead it's a lump sum released over a wide area. Wendy's healing is still superior for individual cases, but this will allow you to bolster your nearby allies on the fly" Layla explained.

"Natsu can you attack Erza again" before Layla finished that statement the breath attack landed as he jumped the gun the second his name was said... "Thanks... Erza simply think of healing and tap the 2 swords together, either the blades or the hilts it shouldn't matter."

Erza tapped the 2 hilts of the swords together and a thin wave of green energy irradiated out of her in a circle travelling about 25 meters before it dissipated.

"Amazing" Wendy proclaimed as the wave shot out of Erza

Erza Smiled as she looked at the swords before asking "What's the range on the defense also? Where the attacks are redirected?" Erza asked.

"It should attract everything in a 20 meter radius around you, so all offensive magic cast on any ally in your vicinity will automatically redirect to you and break down for your use." Layla responded.

Erza smiled "An armor designed to protect others..."

"The Armor's primary purpose is to serve as a magnet catching all hostile magic in the area and to store energy, it grants decent protection to physical attacks but that's not its strength. There are 2 more aspects of the weapons to assist with that"

"Any parry or block of enemy physical attacks will reflect the force back at the attacker. Gajeel would you mind assisting with that demonstration, your Iron Sword should be suitable, Erza please simply parry or block his attack with your swords." Layla said with a nod

Gajeel changed his arm into his Iron Dragon Sword and swung at Erza who did a simple parry as suggested, however upon the contact of the 2 weapons, Gajeel abruptly flew backwards about 3 meters as he was blown away by his own force.

"A little warning next time!" Gajeel exclaimed

"But I did warn you. I knew you weren't you listening!" Layla said with a small grin.

"Natsu" Layla said and immediately Erza was struck by another roar "Thanks" Layla added

"The last aspect of the set is the weapon enhancements, this will amplify your parry's reflection power as well as increase your physical attacks adding elemental damage."

"Could you please just think about channeling your power into your swords." Layla said with a smile

Erza looked at her swords for a second and then a white flame erupted from both hilts covering the bladed sections of each.

"This fire will automatically change its element to what your opponent is most vulnerable to like lightning for a water creature, this will result in double the power of your strikes and reflection in your parries." Layla said concluding her tutorial.

"This armor set seems ridiculously overpowered, are you sure you want to give me this? I'm not sure if I'm even worthy of it myself" Erza said realising the power this set represented.

"It is because you think that despite your strength and heart that the armor is yours. Only someone who can respect the power and is pure of heart can wield it, the power to protect your comrades that is the Pandora Armor the embodiment of one-magic" Layla said.

"It is every bit as impressive as you said it would be Layla" Mavis said having remained quiet for the complete demonstration.

"As of now Erza, you lack the strength to equip it alone, however with this training space, you will be able to reach that requirement with my help. For now please feel free to change back into your regular attire... using the walled area provided of course" Layla quickly added as Erza was preparing to strip in public again.

"So if Erza has that armor can I beat her in a duel?" Natsu asked

"In that armor? No chance. But it's not something she will casually flaunt for a simple duel" Layla responded.

"What about when I get stronger? You said I had a lot of untapped potential" Natsu said as he tried to find a way to win in his mind.

"The fact that you would be stronger simply means the strength of your attacks will bolster Erza even more. You or anyone else for that matter can never win against that armor." Layla said before adding...

"Erza will be the first Generation of Magic Slayer and the Armor is now tied to her bloodline"

"Wait what?" Erza said in shock at the mention of bloodline.

"I enchanted the armor to attune itself to the first person to wear it, which is you Erza. So now the only people who will ever wear that armor will be your direct descendants and family line. They would still need to have your exceptional strength as well as the heart for the armor to function however."

"I had to obviously put safeguards in so that armor will not fall into the wrong hands, it will 'injure'... anyone not of your blood as well as anyone of darkness who tries to wear. It is now the Scarlet Family's Duty, to protect the Armor of Light 'Pandora'." Layla said smiling at Erza.

"What do you mean by 'injure'?" Erza couldn't help but ask

"In the event a descendant of yours tries to equip the armor with malicious intent, it will burn the sword symbols into their shoulder as a sign of rejection, this includes those of light but not related to you... In the unlikely event that a being of darkness who isn't related to you tried to equip it... the armor will kill them and release their essence as a healing pulse automatically."

"Scary" Everyone exclaimed except Erza

"Scarlet family..." as Erza said this she couldn't help but think of Jellal as she started to blush at the idea.

"I see this shouldn't be a problem" Layla said noticing Erza's obvious train of thought.

Even Mavis let out a small giggle as Erza became embarrassed by the attention.

* * *

Erza having changed out of the armor placed it back on the stand which Layla concealed again until she is ready.

"Ok, we should all head back to Earthland to see what master and the others have worked out for their training regiments, I will be assisting this group personally as I'll be unlocking your potential."

"Me included?" Gray said as he felt like the odd one out.

"Yes, your Ice Molding Magic has great potential I look forward to seeing what you can do with it" Layla said with a smile.

"Well lets head back shall we" Lucy said

The group looked at each other with a nod as they made their way back to the doorway and ultimately back to Earthland.


	24. Catching a Shadow with Unexpected Guests

The guild was once again all spread out at different tables drinking and enjoying themselves like nothing had happened. As the last group with Layla emerged from the portal the guild hall went quiet.

* * *

Natsu noticing the mood shouted "You should all be more scared of Erza after what we just saw!"

Erza immediately cracked him over the head reinforcing his point and shutting him up from spilling secrets at the same time.

After watching Erza hit Natsu, it was almost like she had hit a reset switch for them all as the guild hall returned to its normal lively atmosphere.

Mavis floated up stairs to inform Makarov of the armor's demonstration to which he got terrified hid under his desk, as he pictured a rampaging Erza in invulnerable armor with the fire-power described.

* * *

15 minutes or so had passed before a familiar trio appeared out front of the Fair Tail building.

"Greetings Fairy Tail, Once again congratulations on your victory" Yukino said as she entered and noticed Layla and the regular group together near the front of the room.

"Come on Rogue we get to see Gajeel!" Sting said as he walked into the hall dragging Rogue behind him.

"It's not that I don't want to see him, it's just that I feel like we are intruding... shouldn't we have knocked or something?" Rogue replied as he broke free and looked around

"Yo, Twin Dragons, over here, take a seat" Natsu cried out from the from a table near the stage.

Layla walked over to the Bar and took a seat near Mira, her eyes changing to purple as she watched Rogue closely for signs of the Shade. Mira saw the eye change and figured she was up to something so didn't interrupt.

"YUKINO!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the other Zodiac Celestial mage.

"Hello Lucy" Yukino said with a small bow, before asking "Have you and your mother been well?"

"Yes, we have had a few days to catchup and there is still plenty to talk about, although it is a little wierd considering she isn't really that much older than me now at least... as a human" Lucy said almost jealous of her mothers looks.

Yukino couldn't help but laugh at how innocent Lucy was.

"How has Ophiuchus been?" Natsu asked excitedly

"He has been good, I've summoned him once more since and although he isn't complete he still looks great as a golden snake" Yukino raised her hand to over her heart before adding "The fact that he shines that colour reinforces my resolve and bond with all my Celestial friends."

"And that's exactly how us spirits gain strength and protect you in return" Loke said as he forced a gate opening

"LEO!" Yukino said greeting him excitedly.

"See Lucy why can't you be more like that?" Loke said as he dodged an incoming swipe from Lucy before running away with Lucy in pursuit.

Layla laughed at the sight of Lucy playing with her celestial.

"It is good to see you well, Layla" Capricorn said as he also forced a gate opening.

"Hello old friend, it warms my heart to see you as well. I'm delighted to know you and the other Celestial's all found your way to my daughter's care" Layla responded.

"It is a true pleasure for us to assist her, she has your heart, and is becoming quite the wizard" Capricorn said with a fond smile as he stared at Lucy who had Loke in a Headlock.

"Yes, she will be gaining a lot of strength in the near future, so please help her with that power and continue to guide her through any of her troubles." Layla said with a smile.

"In the near future?" Capricorn said slightly confused.

"When Lucy was little I was forced to seal a great deal of her power. However, I will be releasing those seals soon, meaning her strength will rise suddenly over the coming months, as she regains her originally intended power. Please use that strength of her's to protect her always." Layla said explaining the situation.

"We will all do our best, fair well, Layla" Capricorn said, as he faded back into the Celestial Realm.

Lucy had finished playfully beating up Loke who also laughed as he returned to the Celestial Realm.

* * *

"So what do you guys think of the place" Natsu said with a smile to the 2 Dragon Slayer visitors

"It's pretty friendly, everyone seems to be laid back and having fun" Sting said looking around the room.

"It's great isn't it" Wendy said cheerfully

"What about you Ryos" Gajeel said

"I told you not to call me that, its Rogue" he responded.

"Pfft, it's all the same, either way relax, unless you want to take it outside for a rematch geehee" Gajeel said trying to bait Rogue.

"Ho" Rogue said showing a little more passion.

"Seems like I hit a nerve, hows about we head out to the nearby forest to 'have a friendly chat'" Gajeel said with a beaming smile.

"This sounds like it could be fun, just the 2 of us?" Rogue said with a grin.

"Well the others can come along to ref, wouldn't want my victory to go unseen" Gajeel said as he stood up in his chair.

"Yes I wouldn't want them to miss the thrashing I'm going to give you" Rogue said with a smile as he stood up.

Natsu looked at Sting and Smiled with a nod, Sting looked back at him and realised where this was heading.

"Sounds like this will be quite the spectacle" Erza said as she stood up with the rest of the group

"Lead the way" Rogue said with a grin as they all walked out of the hall.

Makarov watched the group leave and made eye contact with Layla at the bar, who gave him a small nod. He let out a sigh as he turned around to head back to his office to pray that there wouldn't be any destruction to the city that Fairy Tail would be billed for.

* * *

The group arrived at the location they planned, however the forest was no longer where they expected it to be. Instead they found a large dirt plain.

"What is this? Where the hell did the forest go" Gajeel said confused.

"I guess this is what Romeo was talking about the other day" Erza said looking around

(did mom really destroy this forest...) Lucy thought to herself with a sigh.

"Well don't really need a forest more than a nice open area, am I right Gajeel" Rogue said with some excitement.

"Fine by me, let's have us that 'talk'... Geehee" Gajeel replied with a grin

The rest of the group all stood back giving the 2 some room, however Sting was mentally preparing for what needed to be done.

Erza whispered to Gray ensuring that he stayed quiet and didn't react loudly, as she brought him in on the plan.

Natsu, Wendy, and Lucy all nodded to each other as well so that they all knew what was to come next.

"Let's not waste each others time, Eh Ryos, don't hold anything back!" Gajeel yelled

"Shadow Drive" Rogue said nodding to Gajeel, before Rogue further advanced into his Shadow Dragon Force

"Geehee" Gajeel said noticing that Rogue was taking it seriously.

"Shadow Dragon's ROAR!" Rogue exclaimed as a large cloud of Shadow breath erupted from his position towards Gajeel.

Gajeel flashed an excited grin, this was exactly what he was hoping for, he quickly dodged the roar, and as it passed by him, he devoured the shadows along it's edge.

"Iron Shadow Dragon Mode!" Gajeel exclaimed as he erupted in shadows entering Dragon Force himself

"WHAT!" Rogue exclaimed as he wasn't expecting Gajeel to so casually repeat his actions from the Grand Magic Tournament

"Looks like you still have a long ways to go kid..." Gajeel yelled as he quickly shot across the area

"Iron Shadow Dragon Sword!" Gajeel swung out of the shadows at rogue with his shadowy blade, Rogue narrowly avoiding its impact as he jumped upwards.

As rogue flipped in the Air he managed to do a bicycle style kick as he proclaimed "Shadow Dragon's Claw" the attack hit Gajeel in the face knocking him back several meters.

Gajeel slid backwards along the dirt as he regained his posture, but he couldn't help flash a smile "Now this is fun"

Rogue Vanished into his shadow but because the forest had been cleared of trees there was no other sources of shadows except Gajeel and Rogue.

Gajeel followed suit and vanished into his Shadow as well. The 2 shadow's began clashing into each other until Rogue made the first move "Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash"

Rogues Shadow expanded outwards and when it collided with Gajeel's it forced Gajeel out of his shadow on the ground and raised him into the air. Rogue partial exposed himself out his own shadow and looked up at Gajeel as he flew up from the force, but in his shock he saw Gajeel flash him a grin.

"Iron Shadow Dragon Secret Art: Shadow Iron Spiral" Gajeel Exclaimed

A tornado of Shadow and iron span around Gajeels position in the air, its force created a vacuum effect sucking rogue up out of his shadow on the ground and into the maelstrom.

Once Rogue was in the air caught in Gajeels Vortex of Shadow, Gajeel yelled "Shadow Iron Dragon Restraint!"

The 2 of them crashed down to the ground with force kicking up a dust cloud. As the dust cleared it revealed that Rogue was pinned by shadowy braces inside a small impact crater with no adjacent shadows to escape to.

"DO IT NOW!" Gajeel exclaimed

"It's in your hands Sting, go save your comrade" Natsu said to Sting as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for the deception Rogue, we had to get you out-of-town to help you" Sting said to his friend shackled on the ground.

"What are you doing Sting!" Rogue said in a panic confused about what was going on.

"We are here to help you with your shadow" Sting said as he activated Dragon Force.

"My shadow? you can't help me with that" Rogue said as he struggled to break free of his bonds.

"Actually... I can" Sting said with a smile as he closed his eyes.

"Holy Dragon Secret Art!" Sting proclaimed as his eyes quickly opened, revealing his white fiery eyes the likes of which Rogue had never seen before.

The Fairy Tail wizards all got a chill down their spine as it was exactly like Sting's trance back in the palace.

Sting raised both his hands in front of himself, palms open wide in both, facing each other roughly 30cm apart before he shouted "HOLY FIRE!"

Sting then quickly pressed both palms together. White light spiralled out of the cracks on the surface of stings closed palms and suddenly Rogue was fully engulfed in White Flames.

"NO! What is...? It doesn't burn?!" Rogue yelled before confused set in

The fire enveloping Rogue's body burnt away the shadow iron restraint's allowing Rogue to stand up. Rogue looked at Sting in confusion, he was still on fire but there was no heat at all.

"NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" an unknown voice proclaimed as a shadowy figure appeared out of Rogue's shadow, it was also enveloped in white flames along its edge but it unlike Rogue, was clearly in pain.

Rogue looked at the shadow in confusion as it was a mirror image of him but it soon changed, the shadow backed away as it began to laugh uncontrollably.

Rogue's burning shadow reverted into it's Demon Shade form. It's body was a similar shape to a tadpole with a single large eye in the centre, there were 2 thin long arms leading to hands that only had 2 claws on each, which it used to latch to its target.

"You were possessed by a Demon called a Shade, my Holy Fire cleansed you of its presence, forcing it out" Sting said to Rogue with a smile.

"Thanks partner..." Rogue said with a sigh of relief.

"Um... Why is it still here?" Lucy said as she stared at the Shade.

"I guess it wants us to kick its ass!" Natsu said as he ignited his fists.

"HAHA, YOU BEAT ME? YOU COULDN'T LAST TIME... NATSU!" the shade said as it burst into a giant fireball of black flames.

All the Wizards ran for cover backing away from the black fire which grew in size.

The flames eventually subsided revealing the shades true form.

Standing before the group of wizards was a Giant Shadowy Dragon figure, but what caught the attention of Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, and Lucy was the fact it had the same shape as Citrine's Full Dragon form.

The shadow stood upright on its hind legs, and was about 50 meters in height, with shadowy wings.

"So, you're Obsidian" Gajeel said looking at the shadow.

"IT SEEMS MY SISTER HAS BEEN TALKING" the shadow exclaimed

"Sister?" Lucy said confused.

"I SMELL HER BLOOD IN YOU... NIECE!" the shadow said with an evil laugh

"What..." His words seemed to scare Lucy to her core, she started to brake down in despair and soon she began to fall towards the ground.

"LUCY!" the group yelled as Natsu ran to her crouching down on one knee as he slid under her, catching her before she hit the ground.

"HAHA SUCH A WEAK PITIFUL CREATURE!" the shadow exclaimed.

"Weak? You think Lucy is weak?" Natsu said as he couldn't contain his anger gritting his teeth

"There is someone weak here, and thats you! You're just a fragment! I may not have been able to kick Zeref's ass, but we are more than capable of kicking yours!" Natsu said as he erupted into flames.

"That's right, you may be big but that just means we have more of you to hit!" Gray yelled as he created 2 ice sword.

"When someone picks on a member our family" Wendy said as she extended her arms with wind spirally around her

"They are picking a fight with all of us!" Erza said as she changed into her Black Wing Armor.

"You picked a fight with the wrong Guild" Gajeel said as he changed his arm into a sword.

"You tortured my comrade" Sting said as he joined in, reactivating his Dragon Force.

"Your voice no longer has a place here, BEGONE!" Rogue yelled as he entered Dragon Force.

The group of them all began to run at Obsidian's Shadow, preparing to attack him... but then all of them abruptly stopped in place as their eyes widened in shock...

* * *

"HAHAHAHA SUCH A PATHET...GAH" Obsidian's Shadow was interrupted as he was suddenly attacked by a Large Blue Dragon that landed on his back and immediately started biting his neck and digging its claws into his body and wings.

As the Dragon clung to the shadow with its powerful claws and teeth, the shadow began to freeze at the 5 contact points.

"So there you all are!" An unknown Woman said, as she landed in the middle of the group.

The young woman had long White hair with Blue Streaks and was wearing a revealing White Corset that lead down to a white feathery looking Skirt. There was a loose thick Blue Belt across her waist that served no purpose except style as it hang off her hip, She was also wearing White Knee high Boots with a blue stripe up the side of them.

The group didn't know how to react, with the sudden appearance of a Dragon and this strange woman, all they could do was just watch in confusion.

"That's enough Mom, Give me a crack at it" The woman said as she Ignited in Blue Flames, blue scales appeared over her arms and around her eyes as she entered Dragon Force through her own will.

"He's all your's Kori" The Dragon responded as it let the partially frozen shadow go.

"FREEZING WATER DRAGON SECRET ART: Winter's Judgement!" Kori Yelled

A giant Circular pillar of ice shot up from the ground snap freezing the Shadow Dragon completely in an instant, but Kori immediately chained into her next move.

"FREEZING WATER DRAGON SECRET ART: Shattering Avalanche!" Kori added

As Kori yelled this the giant pillar exploded sending chunks of ice rocketing throughout the area. Nothing was left of Obsidian's Shadow, it was completely destroyed.

"You did very well Kori" The Dragon said as it landed and sat behind her. It stared at the group of confused wizards before it fixated on Lucy

(Empress?... No... Who are you...?) The Dragon thought to itself before Wendy spoke

"Are you Saphira?" Wendy asked curiously

"Yes I am Ice Queen Saphira, based on your scent you must be Grandine's Wendy" The Dragon said with a smile

"Hey I'm still here too!" Kori said before adding "Hi! I'm Kori the Frozen Water Dragon Slayer, based by the look of you all I guess you can call me Big Sis!"

"Citrine told us about you... Kori and Saphira" Natsu said with a smile.

"You've spoken to the Empress of Light? Is she here? In this time?" Saphira said with happiness in her voice.

"Yes, Mother is back at our Guild Hall" Lucy said as she looked at the 2 visitors.

"Actually, I'm here now" Layla said as she landed like a bullet behind the group with her golden wings.

"Layla!?" Everyone said in surprise of her sudden arrival.

"Saphira! It's been a long time" Layla said with a beaming smile on her face having reunited with another member of her court, she then looked at the woman in front of the dragon.

"And this must be Kori, you seem to have grown into a lovely woman" As Layla said this her eyes changed to blue and she analysed Kori's Development, after a few seconds she smiled.

"Nice to meet you Citrine, Mom's told me lots about you!" Kori said with a wave.

"You did it Saphira, you finished Kori's Training!" Layla said as she looked up at the Dragon with pride, Saphira smiled back at her.

"She's finished?" Gajeel said surprised as he knew the rest of them weren't.

"Almost... Kori just needs her Lacrima" Layla responded. Kori flashed the group a big grin and a peace sign with her right hand, proud of herself.

"Saphira, due to the fear a Dragon would incite with the towns people, could you please apply seals to your power and change into your human avatar." Layla asked kindly but with authority.

"As you wish Empress" Saphira said with a bow

A blue light enveloped the dragon concealing her entire body, soon the light grew smaller and took on a human shape, eventually it faded away to reveal Saphira's new form.

A Beautiful woman who looked to be in her late 20's, with Long Blue hair with White tips, she was wearing blue dress that had white straps over her shoulders, the body of which started at her bust-line and covered all the way down to just above her knees, there was a white diamond patterned Belt across her midsection.

"I would like you both to accompany us back to the Fairy Tail building in Magnolia, I have something to discuss with you both." Layla said as she turned back towards town, resealing her power and concealing her wings.

The group all smiled before welcoming the 2 unexpected guests warmly, as they each exchanged personal introductions with them as they walked back to town.


	25. Icing on the Fairy Tail Cake

With the sudden appearance of Kori and her Dragon Saphira who made short work of the Obsidian's Fragment that had made its home in Rogue's Shadow. The group of Fairy Tail wizards along with the Twin Dragons and Layla, escorted the 2 new arrivals back to the Fairy Tail building.

Sting and Rogue were confused as to what was going on as they were completely out of the loop, but at this stage they were more pleased that Rogue was now rid of his Possession. Thanks to this the Rogue of the Future who had appeared on July 7th, would no longer fall to Despair.

The group finally reaching their destination was met at the gates by a smiling Yukino who had remained behind to mingle with other Fairy Tail members.

* * *

"Welcome back everyone, I hope you 2 got whatever it was out of your system" Yukino waved as she stared at Rogue and Gajeel who were walking together.

Gajeel had his arm over Rogue's shoulder and was in the process of teasing him for his loss in the Duel, which Rogue couldn't help but get angry at, but was thankful for the way it all turned out.

"Hi Yukino!" Lucy said as she ran up to the Celestial wizard

"Did you have fun while we were gone? Did everyone behave themselves..." Lucy asked slightly worried that there may have been a brawl or something.

"I had a wonderful time, I had a talk with your Master Makarov who asked if I had found a guild to call home, but I had to turn him down as I have decided to help Sting and Rogue with the rebuilding of Sabretooth." Yukino said with a smile.

"So you did end up joining back with these 2; how did Kagura take it?" Erza said as she looked at Sting and Rogue, who of which Sting couldn't help but show embarrassment as he started to blush.

"Ho..." Erza said as she leaned in towards Sting who had issues maintaining his cool.

"Haha, Kagura was okay with it... We have spoken a lot since and she seemed to like the idea of being able to check up on me at Sabretooth" Yukino responded with a smile.

"Look it was just one time I swear!" Sting suddenly blurted out as he cracked under all the subtle shots he received in the conversations.

"Wha!" Natsu and Lucy proclaimed as they stared at Sting.

Sting went quiet as he blushed scratching his head.

"Haha, No need to be modest Sting, you have a thing for Kagura! Just be honest" Rogue said as he grabbed Sting in a headlock

"Well it's good to see my little sister has found someone to make her happy" Erza said as she placed her hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

"Um... you know she isn't really your sister right?" Gray said to Erza before he suddenly freaked out in terror as Erza Towered over him with an evil glint in her eyes.

"But Yukino what are you doing outside anyway?" Lucy asked as she couldn't have waited for them all this time.

"Oh, our carriage back to Shirotsume will be arriving shortly, so I was actually waiting to hold it here, in case Sting and Rogue didn't get back in time." Yukino replied

"Oh is that where Sabretooth is based?" Natsu asked

"Yep, we have decided to move our base there and rebuild it from the ground up to have a fresh start." Sting replied glad that the conversation had steered away from Kagura.

"You guys are really starting over, can you afford to rebuild your base like that?" Gray asked looking at Sting and Rogue.

"Well you see we still had a bit of Jewels left over from our previous victory at the Grand Magic Tournament, and all the members that share our vision of the new Sabretooth have all come forward to donate some of their job earnings towards it. This new guild is being built by us, for us." Sting replied happily.

"That's sounds wonderful" Wendy said having heard how much Sabretooth has changed for the better.

"I'm glad to see you all landed on your feet, and we look forward to visiting your new home in the future" Erza said proud of their achievement and obvious bonds they have started to form.

"Oh here comes our carriage now!" Yukino said as a carriage appeared in the distance.

"Well I guess we are leaving, we didn't really get to know you for long Kori and Saphira, but thank you" Sting said as he bowed to the 2

"Really, you have done more for us then you will ever know" Rogue added as he also bowed.

Kori and Saphira looked at each other and smiled, they didn't know the history of the shade they simply attacked it because it was Obsidian's shade.

* * *

The 3 Sabretooth members had all left the scene and the remaining Fairy Tail wizards all entered the Hall with Saphira and Kori in tow.

As they entered the male members of Fairy Tail had to contain their excitement as the presence of 2 beautiful women drew their gaze."Haha, Hiya everyone!" Kori said as she lapped up the attention

"Kori we probably shouldn't make a scene" Saphira said as she was worried Kori may take it too far.

"Oh it's ok these guys are adorable, but if you like I could always freeze over their libido's!" As she said this her eyes twinkled with excitement as blue fire burned in them, this had the instant effect of scaring the crap out of the men in the room who all cowered and protected their manhood.

"Well I guess that sorts that out" Saphira said as she almost face palmed.

"Kori I'll leave you with the other Slayers if you don't mind, Saphira and I need to have a talk to the Guild Master" Layla said with a smile, but at the same time flashed a glare at Team Natsu that had the heavy subtext of 'don't do anything stupid while we are gone'.

"Sure thing Grams!" Kori said cheerfully which Layla couldn't help have a shiver down her spine.

"Haha, it ended up being easier to just tell her you were like a grandmother to her" Saphira said with a giggle.

"Well I guess I kind of am" Layla said with a smile before adding "Come, we best head upstairs so that I can explain the situation to Makarov"

* * *

"So I can't help but ask, but why are you all so young?" Kori said as she looked at the other 3 Dragon Slayers in confusion

"Oh um... 7 years ago our group was attacked by Acnologia and to survive we ended up being in a shield spell that put us in stasis for 7 years, so we are 7 years younger then we should be" Wendy responded.

"Wow really, damn... I was kinda looking forward to seeing what these 2 guys would look like in their 20's" as Kori said this she flashed Natsu and Gajeel a wink which caused both Lucy and Levi to feel a pain in the chest.

"Hey are you saying there is something wrong with us now!?" Natsu said angrily like he was oblivious to the gesture.

"Calm down Salamander, are you really that stupid, that's not what she meant" Gajeel said as he angrily stared Natsu, which quickly escalated into a brawl between the 2

"Oh now this takes me back to my childhood!" Kori exclaimed with an evil grin in her eyes as she jumped into the fight.

A few seconds later both Natsu and Gajeel were frozen solid in circular pillars of ice while Kori was ignited in blue flames standing between the 2 as she laughed like a maniac before proclaiming "HAHA I WIN!"

"NATSU!" Lucy exclaimed at the sight of Natsu frozen  
"GAJEEL!" Levi exclaimed at the sight of Gajeel frozen

"SHE'S A MONSTER!" everyone else proclaimed at how quickly she subdued the 2 slayers

Wendy couldn't help but be embarrassed by the sight of the 3 of them fighting

"Don't mean to spoil the fun, but could you release those 2 idiots" Erza calmly asked

"Sure thing!" Kori said before she said "Flow" and snapped her fingers instantly turning the ice into water causing the 2 slayers to drop to the floor as they caught their breath.

"I guess I was a little too hard on 'em, it was more evenly matched when we were kids" Kori said with a smile.

"Hey I don't remember any of that" Natsu said confused as he had never forgotten a fight

"I'm with Salamander, I don't remember fighting kids when I was younger" Gajeel added

"Hmm that's strange, we used to play and fight all the time when we were younger, all our dragons and us used to meet up every couple of weeks like a family gathering, but in the end we used to just fight and compare our strength much to their displeasure" Kori said as she laughed

"That is wierd, Natsu would never forget something like that" Erza said crossing her arms with a frown.

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact Kori stayed with her Dragon?" Gray suggested as that was the only difference he could see between them

"Hmm maybe, Saphira did manage to find me after we travelled 400 years into the future" Kori said as she tilted her head back in thought

"WAIT WHAT!" everyone except for Lucy, Gajeel, Wendy, and Natsu shouted.

"Oh? you didn't know?" Kori said confused as she looked at the other Slayers

"..." The 4 of them sighed as they didn't really know how to tell the others.

"Oh... Was I not meant to say that" Kori said as she placed her hand over her mouth.

"No, it's okay. We had only found out recently ourselves... So we never really decided on how to tell everyone" Natsu said slightly depressed.

"What do you mean 400 years into the future?" Gray said angry with Natsu for keeping a secret.

"Hey I was going to tell you, but you were too much of a pervert" Natsu angrily exclaimed as he and Gray got into a brawl.

"Yeah Citrine only told us a few days ago, so the story about our past is still kind of new to us" Gajeel replied

"We are still processing what we had been told, but I do kind of wish I remembered the 4 of us being together when we were younger" Wendy said

"You were a couple of years younger then us Wendy so you were like the little sister to all of us, you would always heal us after we fought" Kori said as she giggled.

At this point Erza knocked both Gray and Natsu out to stop their brawl that had raged on in the background the entire time. However when they stopped Kori was drawn to Gray who at this stage was in his boxers.

"You smell good... Like winter..." Kori said as she stood over gray looking at him.

"LOVE RIVAL!" Juvia exclaimed as she got in Kori's face.

"You smell good too... like snow in spring" Kori said as she flashed a big smile at Juvia and gave her a wink.

Juvia was stunned and didn't know what to say but for some reason she couldn't help but like the attention as she shied away confused by her feelings. This interaction however caught the attention of the Men in the room who started to lose control again.

"I guess we shouldn't have expected much from the guys here" Lucy said as she face palmed

"Oh I never got the story, but what's the deal between you and Citrine again, Lucy?" Kori asked as she stared at Lucy.

"Huh me? Oh 'Citrine' would be my mother" Lucy replied

"Really? You must be stupid strong, wanna fight?" Kori said with an excited grin

"Oh... um... I'm not strong" Lucy said slightly terrified of the idea of fighting her.

"Lucy's powers are currently sealed, so you will have to wait before you can have fun" Natsu said as he scrapped himself up off the floor.

"Oh that's too bad, I would've loved to throw down with her daughter" Kori said slightly depressed.

"I don't! You scare the crap out of me" Lucy said

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you" Kori said as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Wait no don't cry! I didn't mean it like that, it's just you're so much stronger than us currently" Lucy said as she waved her arms in front of herself trying to shoo away Kori's tears.

"I'd love to see Kori's reading on the Magic Analyser" Natsu said getting excited as he ignited his fist.

"Yeah that wouldn't be a bad thing, would let us know what to expect later" Gajeel added.

"I'm a little scared, but... I want to see it too" Wendy timidly said

"Well you may all get your wish" Makarov said as he came down the stairs with Layla and Saphira behind him.

"Master?!" the group exclaimed.

"Kori, I have spoken to your Mother and Layla and with their recommendation I ask if you would like to join us as a member of Fairy Tail" Makarov said with a smile.

Kori looked at Saphira and Layla who both nodded to her before she replied "Sounds great!, I can fight with Igneel and Metalicana's kids all day!"

Saphira and Layla both sighed at her response but Makarov laughed "It may be good for my wayward children to have a little competition, well if you are happy then please see Mira at the bar and she will issue you a stamp"

The rest of the hall cheered as they had come to love Kori's antics and another Dragon Slayer makes Fairy Tail even more of a powerhouse.

Mira waved Kori over to the bar before introducing herself "Hello I'm Mira, where would you like your stamp?!"

Kori looked at her and couldn't help but flash a mischievious grin, "Mind putting it on my right breast"

"Sure thing!" Mira happily responded and leaned forward with the stamp and reached towards Kori's chest, this completely took Kori by surprise as Mira wasn't phased by the joke.

"Um, no, haha... kidding, I'm kidding. Damn you're a hard one to crack" Kori said in a fluster.

Mira just laughed before asking again with a smile "So where shall it be? And what colour would you like?"

Kori looked back at the other 3 Dragon Slayers and noticed that they all had the Insignia on their shoulders (2 right 1 left...) she thought to herself...

"I'll follow the others example, can you put it on my left shoulder please, Blue if you could" Kori responded with a smile.

Mira placed the insignia on her shoulder making Kori an official member of Fairy Tail.

Once done Kori turned back to the group and flashed a large grin and gave the peace sign with her right hand. The guild erupted with cheers and whistles, and a drunken party seemed to start in celebration of their new member.


	26. Releasing a Seal

2 days had passed since Kori had joined Fairy Tail, reuniting the 4 First Generation Dragon Slayers from the past.

Since her arrival, there had been on average 8 brawls per day between Natsu, Gajeel, and Kori all of which resulted in Kori's instant victories, much to the displeasure of the other 2. Meanwhile Saphira and Layla had worked to complete a Lacrima which would unlock the remaining power of the Freezing Water Dragon Slayer.

It was now night-time at Lucy's apartment. Layla had been staying with her daughter, as Lucy had insisted she did ever since they returned to Magnolia.

Lucy was feeling left behind, she noticed the power the other members were gaining thanks to the new training dimension as well as her mothers words about Natsu and the other Slayers untapped potential. Lucy decided to approach Layla to learn more about her seals, but at the same time she had lingering questions that clouded her mind since Obsidian Shadow's words...

* * *

"Momma..." Lucy said from the couch in her living room

"Yes dear?" Layla quickly responded from the kitchen where she was preparing a tray of tea

"When we helped Rogue with Obsidian's Shade... It said some things before Saphira and Kori showed up, things that took me by surprise and they scared me" Lucy said with some fear in her words.

Layla bumped the Tea Tray on the bench due to the small shock Lucy's statement gave her, but she quickly calmed her nerves as she picked it up and joined Lucy in the Living room.

"What kind of things did he say..." Layla asked to gauge where she should begin.

"He... He called you his Sister... and called me Niece... but it was more the way he laughed as he said it, it just seemed to pierce into my heart and rattled me" Lucy responded.

Layla let out a sigh before she answered "It's not... Entirely true... But..."

"So he is related to us?" Lucy asked

"It's not what you think... You see... We're... Old..." Layla responded

"Old? How old is old...?" Lucy replied raising an eyebrow as she stared at her mother in an adjacent chair.

"Really Old?" Layla said vaguely as she feigned a smile, not really wanting to answer

"I think it's time you told me about yourself Momma, no more secrets!" Lucy said as she stared into Layla's eyes.

Layla sighed showing signs of regret

"When you saw my readout on the Magic Analyser and it showed the max output... I told you I killed a god..." Layla responded looking back at Lucy

"Yes is that really true...?" Lucy said as she squinted her eyes at her mother in skepticism

"Lucy... mrrgnnn... Okay fine" Layla said as she took a deep breath

"When the God's of Old first tried their hand at creation, they created Dragons. But not Dragons as you know them today. Their Dragons were original designed to be Soldier's, that they could use as shields in the event their Titan parents ever returned to seek revenge on them, as the children that overthrew them..."

"And these original dragons what happened to them?" Lucy said ensuring not to break eye contact.

"You're looking at one..." Layla said staring Lucy in the eye.

"So when you say your old..." Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm over 10 thousand years old..." Layla said as she looked downwards

"... what..." Lucy responded seeming sapped of her spirit.

Layla sighed before continuing

"The God's created us to be their soldier's but we were flawed. When they designed us they wanted us to be powerful, after all we were intended to fight Titans. But because of this short-sighted goal and their ignorance with creation we had no way to replenish the power our bodies required..."

Layla paused and looked directly into Lucy's eyes before adding "except from one another..."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she asked "one another?"

"We... Killed each other... there were about 20 of us to start with, but we slowly killed each other as well as destroyed the majority of the planet as our battle raged. Eventually the God's realised their flaw and devised the twin pillars, a way to radiate magic throughout the world to replenish our power... But they were too late..."

A tear ran down Layla's face as she remembered how savage she was, how many of her original brothers and sisters she tore to pieces and devoured.

"I'm sorry momma, I shouldn't have asked." Lucy said in sadness

"No, you have a right to know, you should know your heritage" Layla said as she composed herself.

"When the Gods made the Pillars only 2 of us originals were left, Myself and Obsidian... that's why we consider ourselves brother and sister, we aren't necessarily blood related we are simply the only 2 left of the Original Dragon Race." Layla said figuring this would answer the sister comment.

"Wait they created the Pillars AFTER you? but I thought you said you were the Pillar?" Lucy said confused

Layla looked down in shame as she continued to level with her daughter.

"Because there were only 2 of us left and because of the power the Pillars represented, Obsidian and I were each assigned a Pillar to protect and defend. I was assigned the Pillar of Light, while Obsidian was assigned the Pillar of Darkness."

"Originally we had no colour, we were both white, but through our proximity to our pillars and the magic they radiated, our scales and bodies began to absorb their power changing my scales to yellow to signify the light and Obsidian's to black to signify the darkness." Layla said as she looked up at Lucy

"So it was only by chance... that you were the light..." Lucy said slightly terrified of this thought

"Yes I could have easily been Obsidian, but this also leads to what I told you earlier... I believe I mentioned to you that Obsidian was ridiculed for his colour, that is true. But the colour was a direct result of the Pillar's energy."

"This is why I pleaded to the Gods at the time to do something to help him, they could have easily altered the Pillar to emit something different, but they were too attached to light & dark, good & evil... simple definitions. They also preferred their new creation... The Second Dragon Race, the one you know today... In their eyes we had fulfilled our purpose and they had moved on"

"Because this was a result of their short-sighted ideals, and incompetence, Obsidian and I gave up on the idea of their help. For 2 thousand years, Obsidian slowly fell into his darkness, but he soon realised that the fact our body's were absorbing the Pillar's meant that we were compatible with them on a genetic level."

"In his mad insight, Obsidian consumed his Pillar in the same fashion that we consumed the other originals to survive. Obsidian approached me and told me of what he had done, at the time we were still close being the only survivors of our race. In my anger of the gods for letting it come this far, I followed Obsidian's example... I consumed the Light Pillar." Layla said this with remorse

"With both of us now drunk on the power we possessed, we attacked the god's that had ignored our plea; in the end we killed them with the power they in their arrogance gave us. That is why I'm categorized as a Destroyer, because that is what I'm best at" Layla said as burst into tears.

Lucy stood up out of her chair and walked over to her mother, just like what she had done for Lucy in the cabin, she held Layla's head to her chest in comfort

"It's not all your good at Momma, I've seen the world you created, its lush green grass and trees, the tranquil ocean, the serene mountains and desert. You can do many wonderful and joyous things with your power."

Lucy stroked Layla's head as she continued to pour her heart out.

"You're just like your Pandora armor... You have the capacity for destruction, but you have proven your primary purpose to be that of protection, and the care of those around you. Look at what you did for the humans 400 years ago..."

"But what is most important, are your actions now and in the future; that is all that will ever matter" Lucy said as a tear rolled down her face in pride.

"Thank you Lucy, you once again prove that you will always be my greatest creation" Layla said with a smile as she looked up at her caring daughter.

"Despite the pain it caused you to remember, you answered my questions, but I do have 1 request" Lucy said with a smile.

"Name it" Layla said as she wiped away her tears

"With the addition of Kori and what the Pandora armor can do, I think it's time that I catch up. Can you remove one of my seals tonight?" Lucy asked with determination in her eye.

"Yes, I think now would be a perfect time" Layla said as she stood up from her chair.

"Will it hurt?" Lucy asked slightly worried

"No, there wont be any pain, but you may get a slight headache when you wake which unfortunately I can't prevent, it should only last an hour, so you will have persevere" Layla responded as she gestured Lucy to lay on the bed.

"Okay, close your eyes, once I open the seal you will fall into a deep sleep for the night as your body slowly adjusts to the new power" Layla said with a smile as Lucy closed her eyes.

Layla's eyes turned blue as she analysed the seal spells she had cast over 20 years earlier. Seeing the first seal she manipulated it piecing it with her mind; she watched the sealed power slowly pour out through the crack like a burst dam into Lucy's now unconscious body

"Sleep well my child, Tomorrow will be a day of discovery" Layla said with a smile, leaving Lucy to sleep.

* * *

Lucy slowly came too from her slumber, the sun was up as she could see it coming through her outside window onto her bed, so today was a new day.

As she tried to stand up she found herself a little dizzy and the headache her mother told her about was definitely no joke either, as she staggered to the bathroom feeling like she had been hit by a train.

She looked at herself in the mirror, there were no visible changes which made her happy as deep down she was scared of waking up and finding a tail or something, but much to her delight everything was how it should be.

She had a shower got dressed and decided to head to the Fairy Tail Hall. She reached for her front door to open it but when she touched the door handle, the door exploded into a pile of splinters.

Lucy in shock blinked a few times and looked at the handle in her palm and the pile of wood chips all over the floor, once this sunk in she screamed. "THIS CAN'T BE NORMAL!"

After spending 10 minutes sweeping up the chunks of her door, she made her way out the front and down to the river's edge. Due to intense fear that she would accidentally do it again, she refused to go near anyone or touch anything as she made her way to Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Where is she?" Lucy said as she entered Fairy Tail hall prompting those present to just stare at her in confusion.

"Momma, Layla, is she here?" Lucy said as she got frustrated

As Lucy got angry a thick wall of magical pressure radiated out from her, and rocks and debris started to defy gravity around her, much to the distress to onlookers who had never seen Lucy exhibit such power.

"Lucy" Mira called out from the bar with a wave.

When Lucy heard Mira's voice she calmed down and went over to meet her, all the debris fell back to the floor. Everyone in attendance steered clear of her in fear as she made her way across the room.

"Oh hello Mira, have you seen my mother?" Lucy asked

"Oh I think she is upstairs with Master, she should be done shortly... but before that... you do realise what you just did... right?"

"Mmm? just did? did what?" Lucy said as she blinked at Mira in confusion

"Oh dear... When you got angry in the doorway just now, you released a substantial amount of magic, more than I have ever seen from you" Mira said looking at Lucy with some confusion but also a hint of fear.

"I did? I didn't even realise..." Lucy responded confused

"Lucy... the power you just released... it felt like Gildarts..." Mira said ensuring that the seriousness of it sunk in

"Gildarts? Me? Well I did have Momma remove one of my seals last night before bed... and I did kind of destroy the door to my apartment..." Lucy said as she herself got scared remembering how Gildarts walked through walls

Lucy placed her hands to her mouth "I'm sorry I didn't mean to" Lucy said with a worried expression

"It's ok Lucy, if what you say is true, and your mother has released some of your power, it just means you need to relearn your limits to restore your control" Mira said with a reassuring smile

"Hmm, maybe I should test it out a little" Lucy said as she pulled out her keys.

"Open Gate of the Lion and Goat" Lucy exclaimed with both Loke and Capricorn appeared

"I knew you missed me" Loke immediately exclaimed  
"My lady" Capricorn said with a bow.

"Hi you two, im just running a quick test to see how many gates I can open at once"

Capricorn looked at Lucy for a second before responding "I take it Layla removed one of the seals to your power? she informed me the other day of your status"

"Yes Momma removed one of my seals last night and since then I have tried to get my bearings, I'm hoping you can all help me" Lucy said as she looked at her other keys.

"No problem Lucy, let's see the results" Loke said with a grin as he sat down at the bar and waved to Mira.

"Open gate of the Maid, Virgo" Lucy said with slight hesitation as it was the first time she tried 3 gates.

"I'm here for punishment, Princess" Virgo replied as she knelt in front of Lucy

"Wow 3 gates at once!" people exclaimed as most of Fairy Tail was now staring at her

"Hmm, well if it's a test and I could do 2 before..." Lucy said before she exclaimed

"Open Gate of the Ram, Aries" Lucy said as she closed her eyes, slowly opening one.

"I'll do my best" Aries said as she timidly held down her skirt.

"FOUR!" everyone exclaimed.

"Wow Lucy 4 gates at once that's amazing" Loke said from the bar in shock.

"I don't recall any Celestial Wizard ever having this many gates open... Under normal conditions..." Capricorn said

"How do you feel princess?" Virgo asked

"I feel surprisingly good... However I think ill stop at 4 and not tempt fate, even if I can do 5 there is no rush" Lucy responded with a proud smile while everyone in Fairy Tail was shocked at the drastic improvement Lucy had shown.

"Hiya Aries" Natsu said with a wave  
"Hi Virgo" Natsu said  
"Always sharp Capricorn" Natsu said with a nod  
"Sup Loke... WAIT WHAT!" Natsu exclaimed.

"How are there 4 of you here? Where is Lucy?!" Natsu said in confusion

"Oh hello, Natsu!" Lucy said sitting at the bar with a wave, her keys out in front of her"

"Did you do this?" he exclaimed as he looked at the 4 spirits all standing together.

"Yes, Momma unlocked one of my seals last night, so I was trying to see the difference" Lucy said with pride

"I see looks like she wasn't kidding" Natsu said before he stopped and stared at Lucy

"So if you had a seal broken do you have any dragon stuff!?" Natsu exclaimed as he checked Lucy for physical evidence before Lucy kicked him in the face.

"Well thanks for the help everyone, ill call on you soon" Lucy said to the Celestials as all 4 of them closed their gates.

* * *

At that moment Makarov and Layla came down the stairs from the second floor. Layla had brought Makarov up to speed with the fact Lucy had one of her seals released.

They also discussed the training dimension that the lightning god tribe was using for the day, so Layla booked their group plus Kori in for tomorrow's session.

"Hi Momma" Lucy said with a wave no longer angry with her.

"Hi Lucy... any problems?" Layla said as she changed her eyes to blue to analyse her daughter.

"Well... I may need you to fix a door when we get back home but apart from that..." Lucy said before smiling

"I just summoned 4 Zodiac spirits at once with no issues" Lucy beamed a grin at her achievement

"4, you don't say... that's quite the achievement" Layla said with pride as she could see Lucy's double in power with her eyes.

"Wait you had 4 spirits out?!" Makarov said as he started to picture Lucy destroying towns with her spirits running rampant... he almost started to cry at the thought of another Fairy Tail wizard that can be the source of repair bills.

Layla saw Makarov was worried about the idea, but she decided to take a shot while the opening was there. she leaned in and whispered in Makarov's ear "she will be able to do 8 soon..."

Makarov started to cry as Layla giggled beside him

"Well for today Lucy I would like you to work with Capricorn to test your new power, he is an excellent instructor when it comes to magic control and channelling. I would recommend you find a nice quiet place with him and get used to your magic." Layla said with a smile

"Sure, Capricorn helped me once before with channelling so I'll pick up where we left off" Lucy responded as she considered where to venture with him

I have booked the training dimension for our group tomorrow, so you can show me how far you have come then, I'm going in there now to see if anyone has any requests, some people have suggested I place a few MPF's in there so they can test attacks, so I'm going to organise that.

"OK Momma, ill see you later" Lucy said as she ran off to train.


	27. Training Day

The Day had finally arrived for Natsu, Wendy, Kori, Gajeel, Erza, Lucy and Gray to enter the training dimension. They were excited to see where Kori stood on the Magic Analyser but at the same time they also wanted to make some serious headway in their own developments.

Lucy had spent the previous day with Capricorn practicing her magic channelling so that she could get the most out of her power and the Celestials at her command, she was still a little puzzled just how her getting stronger would actually affect them short of numbers, but Layla had promised to explain that to her using the analyser.

Saphira was also going to come with the group for the first day as she and Layla wanted to demonstrate just how the Lacrima would complete the First Generation Slayers.

* * *

"Okay are we all set? You shouldn't need to bring anything with you, as everything will be provided inside, I'll make sure of that" Layla said to the group

"Where are we going anyway?" Kori asked confused as to what the fuss was about.

"Tap your Guild Insignia twice" Wendy said with a smile to Kori.

"Huh?" Kori said confused as she tapped her insignia

"See anything different?" Gray asked as Kori looked around the room.

"I see some creepy looking metal door thing... is that it?" Kori said kinda disappointed.

But that was short-lived as the Thunder God Tribe emerged from the 'creepy door' which made Kori's eyes light up.

"See! that's where we are going, and now that they are back, it's our turn!" Natsu proclaimed as he sprinted up to the door before quickly skidding in front of it and calmly walking through.

"Looks like he does learn from his mistakes" Erza said with a laugh

"Well I guess we should all get in there, so we can get the most out of it" Lucy said as she stood up

The rest of the group followed suit entering the portal.

* * *

"Wow, what is this place?" Kori exclaimed as she looked around at the scenic view.

"I must say, I never expected this Citrine" Saphira said in surprise, despite knowing Citrine for millenia, she had never seen her use creation magic on this scale.

"This place has been a personal project of mine for a long time, but it is only now that it will serve its true purpose." Layla responded with a look of determination in her eyes.

Natsu and Gajeel quickly started punching each other to show Kori the sky healing winds. The rest of the group couldn't help but face palm.

"Okay, we have a lot to do over the next month. Let's make the most of it, If anyone needs anything please don't hesitate to ask" Layla said before adding "I guess we should start by introducing Kori to the Magic Analyser"

All of the other Dragon Slayers eyes lit up in anticipation, the rest of the group also was curious to the results. Kori however had no idea what they were going on about...

"Magic Analyser? What's that?" Kori asked in confusion.

"I created a board that reads your magic potential and displays it in simple terms, so that people can track their progress for training, in your case Saphira has done a wonderful job and your training is almost complete. This reading will serve as a snapshot so we can compare it to after the Lacrima infusion" Layla explained.

Kori flashed a wide grin as she figured she would go for the top score "Sounds neat, how do I use it?"

"Place your hand on this board over here and the numbers will come up!" Wendy said as she waved near the board.

Kori placed her hand on the board and 5 seconds later numbers appeared.

==================  
Mana Capacity 8192/8192  
Reserve Capacity 2560/2560

Power 6/10  
Speed 8/10  
Endurance 7/10  
Defense 7/10

Current Max Output 23432  
Currently Unlocked 70%  
Current Rating: Very Good  
=================

"That max output is amazing! but the rest seems average?" Gajeel said slightly depressed.

The rest of the group echoed Gajeel's thoughts

"Because of the scale of power you Dragon Slayers will possess, there is only so much you can achieve though the normal mana management of the human body... This is where the Key comes in, the Lacrima. What it will do is drastically improve your throughput, as well as grant you some additional abilities and... 'perks'." Layla explained trying to alleviate their fears.

"The Lacrima infusion will take a day however, so Kori if you can please find yourself a room inside the lodgings behind us, they are all the same so just pick one at random, and Saphira and I will join you shortly to start the process." Layla said with a smile as she pointed to the copy of Fairy Hills directly behind them.

As for the rest of you feel free to prepare your training regiments, once again if you need anything come get me, but for today at least my main focus will be unlocking Kori.

* * *

Kori, Saphira, and Layla all disappeared into the lodgings. The group each took turns checking their stats on the board but what caught everyone's eye was Lucy's...

"WHAT!" everyone exclaimed including Lucy herself as the numbers came up.

====================  
Mana Capacity 8422/10240  
Reserve Capacity 2555/3072

Power 3/10  
Speed 4/10  
Endurance 4/10  
Defense 3/10

Current Max Output UNKNOWN  
Currently Unlocked 35%  
Current Rating: Average  
===================

"Wait what does UNKNOWN mean?" Lucy said as she stared at it confused...

"But even still look at that mana capacity... that's higher than Kori's..." Gray pointed out

"Come to think of it... That's higher than even Master Makarov..." Erza responded as they all looked at Lucy

"Amazing! And it says only 35% unlocked?" Wendy said with a smile at Lucy.

"See Lucy you're strong! Makes me want to fight you!" Natsu said as he ignited his fist, before Erza quickly hit him over the head.

"Hmm I wonder... I'll see if Capricorn may know anything about this" Lucy said as she quickly pulled out her keys.

"Open Gate of the Goat, Capricorn!" Lucy exclaimed

"Hello Lucy... Hmm I'm not familiar with this environment" Capricorn said

"Oh we are in another dimension that... 'Layla'... made, thanks to the Spirit King I'm able to call you here" Lucy responded.

"Remarkable, the power required to create such a place would be astronomical..." Capricorn responded surprised as he surveyed the area.

"Speaking of power, are you able to make sense of this boards readings? And why it is unable to figure out my output? Mother explained that it displays the maximum damage you can inflict in a single ability but for me it is unable to calculate that?" Lucy said as she stared at the board.

"Hmm..." Capricorn said as he looked at the board, before placing his own hand on it.

=================  
Mana Capacity 2042/2048  
Reserve Capacity XXX/XXX

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 37592  
Currently Unlocked 100%  
Current Rating: Celestial  
=================

"It appears based on this reading, that the output it expects to track with you... Is us, your Celestials"

"The way we Celestial Spirits would work using the above, is that for every spirit you summon, our power is divided equally from your own. This should be made clear if you call another Spirit and I place my hand on it again" Capricorn explained

"Wait a minute..." Natsu said as he looked at the board, the group just stared at him wondering what he is getting at.

"37000?! LUCY?!" Natsu said as he looked at Lucy confused

"Now that you mention it you're right how can that be?" Erza said as she looked at Lucy, the rest of the group stared at her confused

"IS IT REALLY THAT HARD TO BELIEVE!" Lucy said angrily.

Losing her temper the ground around her began to destabilize and rocks and grass chunks floated upwards in a sudden rush of power she released all the others present were shocked by the display.

"LUCY" Capricorn said snapping her out of her tantrum "Control" he calmly added.

"WOW! That was awesome! It was like Gildarts!" Natsu proclaimed excited, the rest of the group looked at each other worried by what they had just seen.

"Lucy, try summoning another spirit, it should then divide your power equally between us"

"Okay" Lucy said as she took out another key.

"Open Gate of the Bull, Taurus!"

"Mooooo, Lucy nice body!" Taurus exclaimed.

"Okay lets see it now" Capricorn said as he placed his hand on the board

=================  
Mana Capacity 2003/2048  
Reserve Capacity XXX/XXX

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 18796  
Currently Unlocked 50%  
Current Rating: Celestial  
================

"As expected, the output reading has halved as your power is now split between us, there will be slight variations in our output, Taurus being more damage orientated should be the highest for output" Capricorn responded as he looked at the new figures.

"Okay let's see what Taurus is compared to your reading, Taurus can you put your hand on the board over there" Lucy said as she pointed to the board.

"Anything for Lucy's nice body!" Taurus proclaimed as he placed his palm on the board.

=================  
Mana Capacity 2044/2048  
Reserve Capacity XXX/XXX

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 20675  
Currently Unlocked 50%  
Current Rating: Celestial  
================

"I see so he is slightly stronger for raw output... Even still combined those numbers are rather amazing" Lucy said as she thought about it all some more.

"What about that Urano Metoria? Wouldn't that be classed as your output?" Wendy asked

"I can't explain that... You should really consult Layla, if she is responsible for the creation of the board" Capricorn said after thinking it over.

"Well even though you can't answer everything, you have helped explain a lot! Thanks Capricorn!" Lucy said with a smile as she dismissed both her Celestials.

"Didn't I overhear Layla say that she added a bunch of MPF's to here?" Natsu said as he looked around

"Yeah Momma did say something about it yesterday, guess we can split up and find them" Lucy said with a nod

"Hey how about you just cast the Urano Metoria?" Erza said looking at Lucy

"Huh?" Lucy responded in surprise.

"We saw it briefly at the Grand Magic Tournament before Raven Tail interfered, so from that we should be able to gauge its strength?" Erza clarified as she raised her hand to her chin.

"Yeah!" Natsu proclaimed

"Probably best to cast it at the mountains or something, just incase" Gajeel suggested

"Couldn't hurt right?" Wendy said with a smile at Lucy

"Yeah, if the mountain could take that blast from Erza's Pandora Armor, I'm sure you will be fine" Gray said as he looked at Lucy

"I guess its worth a shot..." Lucy replied succumbing to peer pressure.

Lucy took a breath and closed her eyes as she started to recite the incantation

"Survey the Heaven, Open the Heaven..."  
"All the stars, far and wide..."  
"Show me thy appearance..."  
"With such shine."  
"O Tetrabiblos... "  
"I am the ruler of the stars..."  
"Aspect become complete..."  
"Open the malevolent gate."  
"O 88 Stars of the heaven... "  
"Shine!"  
"URANO METORIA!

"Did you say it right?" Erza said as she looked around confused.

"What?" Lucy opened her eyes to see that nothing happened...

"Your magic doesn't work here?" Gray responded looking around confused.

"Hmm..." Natsu squinted as he looked up. "I wonder if that's the problem?"

"If what's the problem?" Gajeel said as he looked up

"Yeah what can you see?" Lucy said as she too was confused.

"I see nothing... No stars..." Natsu said before adding "Isn't that spell, like the ultimate magic of the stars?"

"I see... so if there are no stars, then there is no spell" Wendy exclaimed as she got it.

"Wow that's surprisingly smart Natsu" Gray said as he looked at Natsu

"What did you call me you pervert bastard!" Natsu exclaimed as he got angry

"Well I guess I take it back, you're an idiot!" Gray said as he and Natsu started to brawl

"Well at least we now know why the board can't read you Lucy, because you have no offensive magic in this place" Erza said with her arms folded giving a nod.

"Yeah I guess your right" Lucy replied.

"Still if that reading from Capricorn is something to go by, then outside Urano Metoria must be something pretty destructive, considering you had 37000 and who knows what it would a been for that cow guy" Gajeel said with his arms crossed

"Yeah I don't think I'll be using that in a hurry, and to be honest I'm kind of scared at how powerful my spirits are" Lucy said as she pictured herself destroying a town like the others before shivering.

"Well If you are 35% now, and you have 2 more seals to release... with 37500..." Wendy started to say before she got extremely terrified.

"Over 100,000! That's... Terrifying" Carla exclaimed

"That's higher than the Pandora Armor!" Erza exclaimed

"Am I... A monster...?" Lucy said as she looked at her hands trembling of what she would become.

"You're Mother did say that you would be the most powerful wizard in Earthland, when you are unsealed." Gajeel replied

"Wait what?" Erza said in shock as she knocked both Gray and Natsu out for fighting

"The first time we came here, Layla told us that Lucy's unsealed power may well make her the most powerful wizard in Earthland" Wendy said backing up Gajeel.

"Is that true Lucy" Gray exclaimed

"Yeah she did say that" Natsu added.

Lucy stood there trembling in fear at what she could become with that much power. But then she suddenly remembered her mother had the same problem and the advise Lucy gave her herself...

"It's not about how powerful you are... It's about what you do with your power!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed

The rest of the wizards looked at her and soon they all started to smile.

"You're right!" Erza said with a smile.

"Yeah we are getting stronger to kick Obsidian's ass" Natsu exclaimed lighting his fist on fire.

"That's right" Gajeel said with a grin

"Yep!" Wendy proclaimed

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I think we should call it a day" Gray said as he looked out across the field.

"Yeah we can rest for today and get serious tomorrow." Erza said with a smile.

"Lets all head inside, we need to pick rooms anyway" Lucy said with a smile

The group entered the Fairy Hills replica but they all couldn't help but wonder, about Lucy's power, and what Kori would register the next day...


	28. Awakening Potential and Guiding Ice

It's the next morning inside the Training Dimension for the Slayer Team. The door to Kori's room has remained locked for the entire Lacrima Infusion, however Layla has emerged leaving Saphira to watch over her daughter.

The Group was considering a beach visit to check out the Ocean of the Dimension however Gray wanted to visit the snow-covered hills and mountains to get back to his roots.

In the end they decided to split up, but before they did Layla informed them that Kori's infusion was almost complete...

* * *

The Group was standing outside the Building near the Magic Analyser Board, as Layla informed them of the news.

"So she is almost done?" Natsu said excitedly almost hopping in place.

"Yes looks like the process was a little faster than expected so it only took the night, I expect to see her up and about within the hour" Layla said informing the group.

"So just what does this infusion do anyway?" Gajeel asked

"It is an 'activation' if you will of all the Dragon Essence you have received, it will grant you certain... Characteristics, outside that of a normal human" Layla responded slightly vaguely.

"Characteristics?" Wendy asked slightly worried about the meaning.

"Currently when you enter Dragon Force, you receive scales to some of your body. That is a partial unlock to your powers allowing you to exceed your maximum during that time." Layla said

"So if that's a partial? what's our complete unlock?" Natsu said as he looked at Layla

"You hands will become Claws and you will also gain Wings for mobility. Those are the 2 major differences, however these only occur during Dragon Force, so they will not interfere with your day-to-day lives." Layla said clarifying

"Claws?!" Wendy said scared as she looked at her hands

"WINGS!" Natsu and Gajeel excitedly proclaimed as they high-fived each other

"It will be something like this..." Layla said as she closed her eyes and released some seals.

Layla brought out her wings and had changed both her arms. Her arms were covered in thick golden scales on the upper side with a chrome sheen on the 'softer' underside; in a fashion very similar to that of Ophiuchus. lightening arced along the Golden scales and both her hands had been replaced by powerful looking Dragon Claws.

"The idea behind the two additions, is that you will have the ability to fly, allowing you to intercept airborne targets; the wings themselves also give you the ability to very rapidly accelerate in any direction as well as another form of slayer magic specific to your element."

"The Claws are designed to drastically increase your point of contact with your target giving you complete penetration to armored targets like dragons; additionally your throughput of magic via your hands will also double increasing the effectiveness of the majority of your Slayer spells" Layla said with a reassuring smile

"AWESOME" Natsu proclaimed.

"So it isn't like a full transformation, we wont ever become dragons like Acnologia?" Gajeel asked just to make sure

Wendy shivered as she looked at Layla scared of the answer.

"Correct! You will never exceed this level of dragon transformation, as anything more is not practical... Also the idea is that you are to keep your humanity, these additions are purely to help in your role as a Dragon Slayer and nothing more" Layla said as she nodded.

"Well I guess that's not so bad..." Wendy replied feeling a little better with the idea.

"Wendy don't be afraid of this, your hands although capable of destroying a dragon, will also gain a significant boost in your healing output and a drastic improvement to your augmentation magic..."

"You will also be able to create healing winds via you wings, similar to the wisps of air you see around this dimension; those wisps are completely designed off of your wings Sky Magic ability" Layla said with a smile

Wendy flashed a wide smile at the idea of creating the winds that she could see around her, and the rest of the group all smiled happily at her restored confidence.

* * *

At that Moment Kori and Saphira emerged from the front door to greet the group.

"Hiya all!" Kori exclaimed in excitement, not losing any liveliness.

"Kori, how do you feel?" Natsu said as he inspected her for physical evidence which Kori giggled at. Lucy however wasn't too pleased with the attention Natsu gave her

"I'm fine, I feel pretty good, full of energy!" Kori exclaimed

"Kori if you are feeling up for it, now would be a good time to show them exactly what you have gained from the process" Saphira said with a smile.

"Cool... Wait... How do I do that?" Kori said excited but also confused.

"Go into your Dragon Force" Saphira said with a smile, everyone all took a step back away from Kori.

"Alrighty!" Kori said as she ignited into cold blue flames and a few seconds later 2 blue wings with white undersides appeared on her back. There was a large blue Fairy Tail Insignia on the underside of each wing, strangely in a similar fashion to Citrine's.

Kori's Arms were completely covered in scales, once again blue on the upper-side and white on the under. Her hands changed into claws and on the palms of each hand, she had a blue dragon insignia which was shaped like a serpent but in a spiral shape.

"Oh Sick!" Kori exclaimed as she flapped her wings, much to the displeasure of the others as it emitted a chilling Blizzard which made everyone shiver profusely... except for Gray who stripped.

"The wings are kinda wierd, but they are surprisingly easy to control; can I like, fly with these?" Kori said as she looked at Saphira and Layla, both of whom smiled and nodded.

"But! Before you go running off..." Layla said getting Kori's attention

"I'd like to check your output on the Magic Analyser now, it should be substantially higher..." Layla said as she gestured Kori to the board

Kori excitedly placed the open palm of her right claw to the board, a few seconds later numbers appeared

==================  
Mana Capacity 16384/16384  
Reserve Capacity 5120/5120

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 93728  
Currently Unlocked 100%  
Current Rating: SLAYER  
=================

"WOW" everyone exclaimed as they looked at the new output figure, but they were a little confused by the omitted numbers for her base statistics.

"What's the deal with the X's" Erza asked looking at Layla

"The Reason for the X's is because of Dragon Force, this makes Kori's abilities exceed 100% as she is in a boosted state but you can pretty well assume they are at their maximum for argument sake" Layla responded with a smile.

"So this is what a completed Slayer looks like... Geehee" Gajeel said with a large grin on his face

Natsu was hopping with excitement while Wendy simply smiled looking at Kori.

"Yes, and with training in this place you can all achieve the same" Layla said as she looked at the 3 remaining slayers.

"Okay, it's time to get motivated and get started with our training" Erza said with a nod

* * *

The group started to split up to hit the training they had planned, however Layla asked Gray to stay behind...

"You wanted to talk to me Layla?" Gray said as he looked at her wondering what it was about.

"At this stage you probably feel left out, and that's understandable. With there being 4 Slayers who will achieve what you have seen, Erza has her Pandora armor; even Lucy, I'm sure you have noticed has leapt in strength" Layla said as she looked at Gray with her blue eyes.

"I do admit that I'm not sure where I fit in, my magic is completely different and it's all about visualisation" Gray responded

"Yes Molding Magic can be considered some of the hardest to master, but because of that difficulty, not many ever achieve greatness. It is quite rare to ever see molding magic willingly adopted without a strong person to guide their students development" Layla said as she placed a hand on gray's shoulder.

"Yes, Ur was an amazing teacher, but unfortunately she has passed on" Gray said with remorse.

"Well I'll let you in on a little secret, this place we are in... I created using a form of molding magic" Layla said with a smile, as Gray looked at her surprised.

"This place was made using Molding Magic?" Gray said in amazement.

"Yes, as you said it requires vision, and I have had a long time to imagine this place... But I'm not the only one here who can help you..." Layla said with a smile as Saphira and Kori waved at gray

"Seriously?" Gray said looking at Layla

"Yes Saphira is the Queen of Ice in my court, and I guess you can consider Kori to be a princess..." As Layla said this Kori was practicing flying and crashed into the accommodation building causing Saphira to face palm.

"Eitherway... The 2 of them are very adept at all aspects of Ice and its make up, so they should be able to assist you greatly. With their help you may even see some things in Ice that you haven't come across yet." Layla said with a reassuring smile to Gray

"Thanks, I look forward to it" Gray said as he smiled at the pair

"If we want to get to the mountains faster I can always fly you there Gray!" Kori exclaimed as she came out from the hole in the wall to the accommodation building.

"Um... I think it would be safer if I walked..." Gray replied terrified that he was going to die if Kori flew him there.

"It's okay Gray, I'll carry you up there, that way we can start sooner and help you master your magic" Saphira said as she released her seals returning to her Blue Dragon form.

"I'm still a little freaked out, but it certainly will be safer than Kori" Gray said as Kori grinned giving him the peace sign

Gray climbed on top of Saphira's back near the base of her neck as he held tightly to her two large horns like reigns. Saphira slowly flew up and gently began to glide towards the snowy mountain area.

They ended up flying over Natsu, who was walking down the grassy field. He hopped up and down in envy of Gray riding a dragon; ignited his fist as he began to chase them, but gave up quickly as they were too fast.

Layla changed her eyes to purple and surveyed the area to see how the group had split up. She noticed that Gajeel and Pantherlilly had set off together towards the river with the desert on the other side, and saw that the remaining group of Erza, Lucy, and Wendy were heading towards the beach area.

Layla smiled before turning around to see the giant hole in the wall Kori had created to the accommodation building, but she just raised her hand and used Time magic to revert it back to mint condition.

Once repaired, Layla decided to leave the dimension to report on their progress to Makarov, she figured 10 minutes outside was only 5 hours so all should be fine.

* * *

Layla emerged from the portal prompting Mira to wave at her welcoming her back, so Layla approached the bar to say hello.

"Hello Mira, your cheerful as always" Layla said with a smile as she sat down at the bar.

"How are they doing inside? are they fighting among themselves still?" Mira said with a giggle.

"No no, they have all separated to do their own thing. Gray has gone to the mountains with Kori and Saphira to help him with his Ice magic; Natsu looks to be walking to the arena section with happy; Gajeel and Pantherlily have seperated off and are heading towards the desert area; while Wendy Erza and Lucy are heading to the beach area" Layla said giving a brief overview.

Mira giggled as she said "So, Kori will be with Gray then..." this prompted another laugh from Mira who couldn't help but remember Kori's sudden affection towards Gray when she smelt his Ice.

"I think I know what you are thinking... But I'm sure Saphira will keep the two on the straight and narrow" Layla said with a smile but she never considered the possibility so it did make her wonder.

"I'm sure you're right" Mira said reassuringly as she polished a wine glass.

"Do you know if Makarov is around, I'd like to inform him about Kori's readout on the Magic Analyser" Layla said

"Oh was it that good?" Mira said with a smile

"Yeah we finished the final stage of her development and she is now complete; her output was 93000" Layla responded

Mira dropped the glass she was polishing in shock prompting a few people to stare at her in the room but she quickly composed herself to not make a scene before whispering "93000? Are you serious?"

"Yes, after all they were created to defeat dragons; Kori is just the finished product, the rest will be similar in no time" Layla said with a smile.

"You may want to hold off on telling master that, he may have a heart attack." Mira quickly responded with a look of worry in her eye

"It's ok they will have Erza, Gray, and Lucy to control them" Layla said trying to dismiss her fears.

"Speaking of Lucy... she exhibited some extreme power earlier when she got angry, a few people were worried for her" Mira replied with concern.

"I was a little worried that might happen, it's why I can't release all of her power at once, she needs time to adapt and control each increase" Layla said before concluding its best done in the dimension in future.

"That wasn't all of it?" Mira said confused as the power she saw was almost rivalling Gildarts.

"Oh she has 2 more seals to go, so there is still quite a bit left for her... although I may need to teach her some other magic to use to accompany her Celestial magic... or it could be a problem..." Layla said as she folder her arms.

"She has 2 more seals!?" Mira said in horror.

"Don't worry, as long as she always has her friends and is welcomed with open arms, she will never lose her way" Layla replied with a reassuring smile.

"Yes, Fairy Tail will always be her home and family" Mira replied with a happy smile

"I should probably head back its been a few hours for them now so best make sure they are all ok" Layla thought to herself as she got up and walked back to the portal (I'll let Makarov know when we are finished in here) Layla thought as she re-entered the portal...


	29. Problem Children

Layla had stepped outside the training dimension for a brief moment, however for those inside she was gone for almost 6 hours. She has now returned through the portal after her 'brief' break outside; she was immediately shocked by the sight...

The once simple river had now been replaced by ocean which also submerged the desert.

Two of the snowy area mountains had collapsed and the arena pit in the centre of the grassy field had been filled with ice and looked like an ice skating rink.

The accommodation building had been completely destroyed and there was burn marks and icicles all over it.

The majority of the group was standing on the grass area near the arena meanwhile Kori and Gray were skating around on makeshift ice skates made of ice.

Natsu, Gajeel, and an exhausted Pantherlily were out in the ocean covered desert being rescued by Saphira who was flying above them in Dragon Form.

* * *

"How is this even possible?" Layla angrily exclaimed from her position near the doorway before releasing the seal to her wings and rocketing down to the group near the ice filled arena.

"Oh, hello Layla" Wendy cheerfully replied as if nothing had happened

"What... How..." Layla responded as she looked around the destroyed dimension.

"Ok momma, before you freak out let me explaine..." Lucy said as she took a deep breath.

"Well Erza, Wendy, and I went to the beach area to train and all was going well for a couple of hours... Erza was practicing sword strikes with Aquarius who was helping by throwing waves of water at her to cut." as Lucy said this Erza still in a bikini nodded

"Wendy was practicing her Sky Magic sparring with Gemini who was copying her" As Lucy said this Wendy still in her bikini nodded also in agreement

"I was practicing channelling my magic with Capricorn under a nearby tree and it was going well..." Lucy said before pausing causing Layla to raise an eyebrow as everyone else showed signs of cringing

"Go on..." Layla said sensing this was about to go downhill...

"Well suddenly there was an explosion that shook the area which took us all by surprise, and we watched one of the mountains collapse. Because of the shock I accidentally lost focus and closed my celestial gates to Capricorn and Gemini... but not Aquarius..." Lucy said with a sarcastic laugh causing Layla to sigh guessing what happened next.

"Aquarius now with the extra power created a large tidal wave by mistake, instead of the small waves that Erza was cutting before hand. The wave swept us all across the area creating the extended ocean you now see, if it hadn't been for Carla and Pantherlily we may have drowned." Lucy said with her head down depressed.

"Wait... is that all? What happened to the arena then? And the accommodation, And the other mountain?" Layla said as she looked at the group

"Gray and I filled the arena with ice to practice his ice molding after the mountain... collapsed for some reason..." Kori said before quickly showing signs of guilt

"Kori..." Layla said frowning at her

"Okay, I was kinda showing off a little and sort of destroyed the mountain" Kori said with a laugh causing the group to sigh

"Why are there ice and scorch marks all over the accommodation building than?" Layla said confused

"Um... Well you see... After the mountain collapsed we decided to try my molding near the arena... but then Natsu came over running his mouth with Happy and well ... we kinda got into a fight" Gray said embarrassed as Erza got angry.

"But the accommodation is way up the hill away from the arena?" Layla said confused.

"It was a good fight?" Gray said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I give up..." Layla responded as she sat down depressed.

"Don't worry momma it was our first day of training we will get better" Lucy said trying to reassure her.

"That's what scares me" Layla said as she pictured how many times she would need to fix the place.

An exhausted Pantherlily, Natsu and Gajeel were rescued from the ocean shortly after by Saphira in her dragon form; apparently Natsu ended up in the ocean because Erza had kicked him from the Accommodation area in anger of his fighting.

Layla repaired the accommodation building first so that they could all sleep for the night. Saphira apologised for the mountains getting destroyed, but Layla honestly wasn't surprised, as Kori was still getting used to her powers.

* * *

A week passed in the training area, there had been multiple incidents with things being destroyed which was one of the main reasons Layla had to assist this group personally, as no one else would be able to deal with the destruction.

Gray and Kori were getting along well, a little too well for Saphira's liking as a protective parent, but they kept it all above-board.

Because of Lucy's increased power she was able to use Gemini to copy Erza much to Erza's delight so the 2 of them sparring was an excellent solution. Wendy joined Lucy with Capricorn on channelling training as it would help Wendy's healing ability which she was excited about.

Layla decided to put Gajeel and Natsu together for sparring as they seemed to enjoy it and she was overseeing them personally...

* * *

"You two are doing well" Layla said to the pair who were taking a quick break

"Would you two like to take it to the next level?" Layla said with a mischievous grin

"The next level?" Gajeel replied confused

"Well because of your stage of development you both are unable to enter Dragon Force at will correct?" Layla said to the two.

"Yeah why is that when Sting and Rogue could if they are no better than us?" Natsu replied

"Well because of their Lacrima infusion, it allows them to draw on what little dragon essence they have. As it was premature they will be unable to get wings and claws like what you will soon have; all they have gained is the ability to reach Dragon Force." Layla replied

"So what are you suggesting?" Gajeel said with an eye raised.

"This" as Layla said that she extended her palms creating a green flame in her left hand towards Natsu and a Sphere of what looked like liquid Chrome in her right towards Gajeel.

"I think you get the idea" Layla said with a smile as the two of them devoured their respective element.

"WOW! I've never had fire like this before" Natsu exclaimed as he erupted into a green fireball and fiery red dragon scales appeared over his face and arms which was more complete than his simple scale indentations.

"Yeah no kidding" Gajeel added as he took on a more shiny metallic look almost liquid in nature like Mercury with darker iron looking scales over the top.

"This is the true form of your Elemental's Dragon force prior to Lacrima. It's best that you focus on your base element first before you try to mix your secondary elements; that being said, I am extremely impressed you both managed to unlock them this early." Layla said with pride

"Sweet, so shall we do this Gajeel, I'm not holding back" Natsu said as he raised his hand gesturing Gajeel to bring it.

"Geehee" Gajeel chuckled as he leapt across the area towards Natsu

* * *

The area shook as explosions erupted all over the desert area of the dimension catching the attention of the others

"The hell is that?" Gray exclaimed looking down from the mountains at the green fireball and reflective metal clashing.

"Looks like Citrine gave them their Elements" Kori said with a wide smile as she could sense the power both of them now had and had to contain her excitement to join in.

"What like fed Natsu fire?" Gray said as he thought back to Natsu and Hades

"Yes, when a Dragon Slayer is able to ingest their primary element, it empowers them as well as restores their energy" Saphira said as she smiled from her place behind the 2 curled up in her blue dragon form.

"Yeah I prefer Ice, but I do get some benefit from water to a lesser extent" Kori proudly exclaimed

"Heh, so you prefer Ice" Gray said with a smile now suddenly in his boxers

"Haha, calm down 'Romeo', I'm not that easy... You would have to earn it" Kori said with a wink

"Kori..." Saphira sighed and squinted her eyes at her daughter

* * *

Meanwhile over near the beach area...

"What's this Magical Pressure? is that Natsu and Gajeel?" Erza exclaimed as Gemini shrugged at her

"Is that Natsu?" Lucy said looking at Wendy

"Yeah for some reason I can tell that they are in Dragon Force" Wendy replied

"It does seem that they are emitting a lot of magic from the Desert area" Capricorn said as he adjusted his sunglasses

"But we have our own mission when it comes to magic, so lets not get distracted by them, else you will be left behind" Capricorn said to the two with a smile as they both returned to focusing to the task at hand.

* * *

As night came drawing the first eventful week to a close inside the dimension. The group all gathered around a large dining table on the first floor of the accommodation building, to eat and talk about their respective trainings.

"So it looks like you are all starting to get the hang of it, I'm finally having to repair less of this place every day." Layla said with a sigh of relief causing the group to laugh

"Yeah I feel stronger already, this place is a welcome addition to Fairy Tail" Erza said with a smile

"Yeah this place is great, the wind makes it so we can fight all out and not have to hold back" Natsu said excitedly

"Yeah Salamander and I have torn up the desert to our hearts content, it's great" Gajeel said with a grin

"I wish I could join you boys, but I'd just hurt you" Kori said with an evil grin

"So what have you and Gray been getting up to in the mountains?" Lucy asked excitedly causing Gray to accidentally blush at the idea

"Ho!" Erza, Lucy, and Wendy exclaimed as they all leaned in to the table staring at Gray

"We haven't done anything you idiots, calm down" Gray yelled still embarrassed

Kori deciding to not miss an opportunity to stir the pot "What Gray? Don't be like that my little snowflake" she said with a mischeivous grin

"SNOWFLAKE!" everyone exclaimed Gajeel and Natsu burst into laughter

"Shut up you flaming retard!" Gray yelled as he and Natsu quickly started to fight

"Did you really need to encourage them Kori..." Saphira said with a sigh

"I got this" Erza exclaimed as she knocked both Gray and Natsu unconscious, Kori laughing proud of her work

"Well now that you are all accustomed to this place and because of the nature of all your powers... I'm going to be ... 'Helping' you all in your recovery tonight." Layla said with a smile

"You know what would help with our recovery, a hotspring!" Lucy exclaimed

"That's not what I meant dear... however that is a good suggestion! We can knock something together later" Layla responded

"So what do you have planned?" Erza asked

"I'm going to 'alter' your bodies natural flow of mana using my magic" Layla replied

"And what does that entail, sounds a little creepy" Lucy said a little worried

"Well your body is already different Lucy so you don't need any help with your ability to expend mana. However I would like to assist Erza, Gray, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, with the way they moderate their magic essence" Layla said before clarifying

"Your bodies expend mana at a predefined rate depending on your affinity to magic. What I'd like to do is... 'Tune'... that rate, increasing your body's affinity to Eternanos, doing so will increase the efficiency of your mana supply. This means more output as well as giving you drastic improvements to the speed you replenish your supply." Layla said smiling at the group

"So it's like that time Ultear used her magic to give us Second Origin?" Erza replied

"You could think of it that, but second origin is more a secondary container used to store your mana giving you an increased total overall. What I plan to do would be to enhance both containers like adding more holes for mana to flow in and out of." Layla replied raising a finger in the air a-matter-of-factly

"Sounds great, will it hurt?" Erza asked

"No it will be relatively painless, there may be some discomfort like an itching sensation but I wouldn't call it pain, and it would only occur during the procedure itself" Layla responded

"How long are we talking?" Gajeel asked with his arms crossed leaning back in his chair.

"All up it should be no more than 10 minutes each, so I could have you all done within one hour. It's best done before you sleep, so let me know when you are ready and I'll tend to each of you individually.

* * *

The group finished up their dinner and the girls all took a bath while Gajeel spoke with Layla and Saphira downstairs, as he waited for Natsu and Gray to slowly regain conciousness.

After the girls had finished their baths the guys took theres and Layla got to work on Erza and Wendy. Erza had zero discomfort at all which surprised Layla, but Wendy had difficulties with it but persevered

With the 2 Girls done, it was time for the boys. All of them complained and couldn't sit still; requiring Kori to freeze their limbs in place much to her delight, so each one took 15 minutes due to their fidgeting.

With the procedures finished and the 5 asleep, Layla exhausted returned down stairs to have some tea and relax.

* * *

"Those boys sure made a fuss, why couldn't they be more like Erza" Layla said with a sigh as she sat down in an armchair near a fireplace in the lower floor.

"So did you do whatever it was you wanted to do with them?" Lucy asked sitting down in a nearby armchair as she joined her mother for tea.

"Yes, the change should drastically improve them all, they will have all jumped years in development." Layla said with a relieved sigh

"What is all this for? Why did you suddenly help the guild with so much? As generous and kind a person as you are momma, it all seems a bit odd" Lucy asked confused as to the whole situation

"Obsidian, is coming. We have 6 months" Layla said with a worried look in her eye

"He's coming? From where and for what?" Lucy asked a little shaken

"Everything... he wants to destroy it all. It's why we need to stop him" Layla said with regret

"It's true Lucy" Saphira said joining the two

"I see..." Lucy said with a depressed sigh

"I found you all in Magnolia because I was drawn to the sudden presence of Obsidian. Once I saw it was only a fragment I immediately attacked it" Saphira explained

"With no more Dragons for Obsidian to command he will use demons, and corrupt humans. It's why mankind will need to play a major role in the coming conflict. Dragons like Saphira although formidable can only cover so much area." Layla explained

"So that's why you need Fairy Tail" Lucy said as she looked at her mother

"Fairy Tail have a unique stake in all this due to reasons I'm not at liberty to disclose, however know that the reason is nothing bad, it's actually quite a good thing." Layla said with a reassuring smile before continuing

"Fairy Tail also has exceptionally strong wizards, each with incredible kindness in their hearts. With their help it is possible for us to fight this war on multiple fronts, it's why everyone must get stronger and why I'm going to such lengths to ensure it."

"We fought for the human's future long ago, we are simply keeping that promise now and fighting alongside them once again" Saphira said with a smile towards Lucy.

"Thank you..." Lucy said as a tear ran down her cheek

"There is no need to cry Lucy, you like your mother will always have our support, we owe her a lot" Saphira said as she bowed her head to Layla

"How does it work between you two anyway?" Lucy said slightly confused by Saphira's humbleness towards her mother

"I'm just like a protective parent to them all Lucy" Layla said with a small giggle

"And how many more family members should I be aware of..." Lucy said as she squinted her eyes at Layla

"Haha, no it's not like that. As long as I've known Citrine, she has always been a protector of our race, so we just all looked up to her like a mother figure" Saphira replied with a laugh

Layla sighed "You really do know how to make me feel old don't you"

"Well not many people know how to make you feel young... except..." Saphira responded before being cut off by Layla almost choking on her tea and flashing an angry look at her

"Wow that seemed to hit a nerve..." Lucy said as she looked over at her mother

Layla showing embarrassment replied "It's nothing..."

"Really Momma, people don't react like that to 'nothing'" she said with a grin as she leaned in towards Layla

"Well, while we are on the subject, how is Natsu?" Layla replied causing Lucy to cough

Saphira raised an eyebrow at this as she looked at Lucy then Layla before saying "Apple and tree, I guess it's true" with a giggle.

Both of them looked at Saphira as the room went silent, her words bounced around in Lucy's head...

"Really..." Lucy said looking at Layla

Layla sighed dismissively adding "It was hundreds of years ago"

"I did pick up on Igneel's presence a few years back, but he has himself hidden away" Saphira said with a smile

"Where?" Layla said showing some excitement

"He was on one of the larger islands off the country of Ca-Elum, south-west of here across the ocean. The island was extremely volcanic, I wasn't too fond of the area, so I continued on my way as I searched for signs of the other Slayers" Saphira said with a smile.

"How long ago was this?" Layla asked

"About 8 years ago, I had only recently found Kori at that time so I didn't want to travel away from her for long" Saphira responded

"Hmm 8 years ago... It's likely he has moved, but it is a place to start. If I had time I would search for him..." Layla said as she considered everything

"With Kori complete and settling into the guild, I could resume my search for the others, Empress" Saphira suggested with a smile to Layla

"That would be most appreciated, If we can all regroup then that will give us some powerful cards to play" Layla said with excitement as she raised her hand to her chin in thought

"Unfortunately I have learned that Weisslogia and Skiadrum have passed on, Metalicana is unknown, but Grandine has spoken to me informing me that she will wait at the Isle." Layla added

"So Grandine is heading to the Isle, I had spoken to her in the past when she circled Fiore. She told me she had located Wendy, but did not want to interfere with her growth as a human, she actually mentioned Fairy Tail in the past but never told me the other Slayers were there" Saphira said with a smile.

"When you are ready, meet up with Grandine and try to find Igneel and Metalicana, when you find them have Grandine inform me using her Sky Magic. It's best we don't have 4 dragons suddenly show up in Magnolia, so we will all meet at the Isle" Layla said with a nod.

"I'll stick around for the remaining duration of our stay in here, I would like to keep an eye on Kori as well as the human Gray. I can see some attraction, but I'm more concerned about Gray's safety... If Kori gets a bit too forward or excited she may hurt the boy." Saphira said with some concern

Layla giggled "Yes humans can be emotional, but I am forced to admit despite their short existence, the flame of their life burns brighter than any other species." Layla said with a fond smile as she remembered her human life.

Lucy smiled hearing the genuinely warm comment.

"I'm going to call it a night, I'll leave you two to your tea" Saphira said as she stood up and left to an upstairs bedroom for sleep.

"I'm glad your my momma" Lucy said as she smiled at Layla

"You are a wonderful daughter Lucy, I'm just sorry that I had to get you mixed up in my problems" Layla replied

"Obsidian is everyone's problem, and we are all here to help you with it" Lucy said as she started to fall asleep in her chair.

"Thank you. Lucy" Layla said as she quietly got up from her chair and packed up the Tea Set.

"Mmm, I best head up to my room" Lucy said as she woke herself up enough to get upstairs

"Goodnight Lucy..." Layla said as she returned the teacups to the kitchen

"Tomorrow will be interesting for everyone" she mumbled to herself before heading upstairs to goto sleep also...


	30. Unleashed Potential

Layla has recently assisted Gray, Erza, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy in unlocking some of their latent potential.

The group has assembled outside of the accommodation building and are preparing to each check their new results on the Magic Analyser.

* * *

"Firstly, does anyone have any lingering issues or requests?" Layla asked the group as they all anxiously waited to use the board.

"... I take that silence as a 'No'" Layla said with a smile before adding "I can see you are all eager to use the analyser but I would like Erza to go first"

"You can do it Erza!" Lucy proclaimed

"Good luck!" Wendy added

Erza placed her palm to the board and after 5 seconds numbers appeared...

==================  
Mana Capacity 6144/6144  
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048

Power 9/10  
Speed 9/10  
Endurance 10/10  
Defense 9/10

Current Max Output 21561  
Currently Unlocked 92%  
Current Rating: EXPERT  
==================

"Amazing!" Wendy exclaimed

"WOW!" everyone else added

"Did it really improve that much in 1 week and with the alteration Layla did?" Erza said surprised by the new numbers

"That's very good Erza, with those figures I think you are ready to train in your Pandora Armor" Layla replied with a smile.

* * *

"I'm going next!" Wendy proclaimed as she placed her hand on the board

==================  
Mana Capacity 4096/4096  
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048

Power 3/10  
Speed 6/10  
Endurance 5/10  
Defense 3/10

Current Max Output 13877  
Currently Unlocked 42%  
Current Rating: Average  
==================

"That's very good Wendy" Lucy said with a smile

"Almost 14000 output and you don't even like fighting" Erza responded with a proud smile

"Good on you Wendy" Kori added with cheer

"Yes, you Dragon Slayers will take time to reach your full potential, but right now that's and excellent reading Wendy" Layla said with a smile

* * *

"Okay I'm going next" Gajeel said as he placed his hand on the board.

==================  
Mana Capacity 3072/3072  
Reserve Capacity 1536/1536

Power 5/10  
Speed 4/10  
Endurance 5/10  
Defense 5/10

Current Max Output 21134  
Currently Unlocked 47%  
Current Rating: Good  
==================

"Geehee!" Gajeel exclaimed as he looked at the numbers

"Not surprising it would be all about power coming from Metalicana" Saphira said with a smile.

"Nice one Gajeel!" Lucy cheered with a nod from Wendy and Erza

* * *

"Guess its my turn" Gray said as he placed his hand on the board.

==================  
Mana Capacity 8192/8192  
Reserve Capacity 4096/4096

Power 7/10  
Speed 10/10  
Endurance 8/10  
Defense 9/10

Current Max Output 26914  
Currently Unlocked 85%  
Current Rating: Excellent  
==================

"Is this for real?" Gray said as he looked at the board in shock

"That's extremely impressive Gray" Erza said with a smile

"How is he higher than me!" Gajeel said shocked at the output

"Because Ice rocks!" Kori said giving Gray a high-five

"Gray's magic is quite unique in this group, his output is actually higher than shown here because of his ability to create multiple objects at once, and with that output the scale and strength of his creations will be heavily reinforced" Layla said with a reassuring smile to Gray

* * *

"Guess I'm last..." Natsu said depressed that Gray did well

Natsu placed his hand on the board and 5 seconds later numbers appeared...

==================  
Mana Capacity 3584/3584  
Reserve Capacity 1536/1536

Power 4/10  
Speed 6/10  
Endurance 6/10  
Defense 4/10

Current Max Output 20619  
Currently Unlocked 50%  
Current Rating: Good  
==================

"Damn the pervert beat me" Natsu said upset as Gray burst into laughter

"I'm proud of you" Lucy said with a reassuring smile

"Indeed, good job" Erza said pulling his head into her chest hitting it hard against her plate

"That's still a remarkable output for this stage Natsu" Layla said with a smile.

"But, if you are really upset here..." Layla said as she extended her palm with green fire which Natsu quickly devoured

Natsu entered Dragon Force revealing his red scaled look to everyone except Gajeel for the first time; and it took them by surprise.

Natsu placed his palm against the board again, and the numbers updated once more.

==================  
Mana Capacity 5376/3584  
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 30929  
Currently Unlocked 50%  
Current Rating: SLAYER  
==================

"That's better!" Natsu exclaimed with a laugh

"Dragon Slayers have a range when it comes to their potential and power, it's wise to pick fights where you benefit from your element as it will empower you" Layla said with a smile.

"That's still impressive for a Slayer prelacrima..." Saphira said looking at the board.

"Well he is Igneel's son and you know what he can be like" Layla replied with a smile.

"But just to make sure Natsu's head doesn't get too big... Kori..." Layla said this as she extended her hand creating a densely packed block of ice which Kori quickly consumed.

Kori erupted in cold blue flames her wings extended and her arms covered in blue and white scales. Kori flashed an evil smile at Natsu then placed her hand on the board 5 seconds later the new numbers appeared...

==================  
Mana Capacity 24576/16384  
Reserve Capacity 5120/5120

Power XX/10  
Speed XX/10  
Endurance XX/10  
Defense XX/10

Current Max Output 140592  
Currently Unlocked 100%  
Current Rating: SLAYER  
=================

"HOLY CRAP!" everyone exclaimed

"Why are the numbers even higher again?" Natsu said in protest

"Because last time Kori didn't consume ice. This once again reinforces the importance of your element" Layla replied with a smile, Saphira placed a hand on Kori's shoulder and gave her a proud smile.

"I'm curious, what's Saphira's reading?" Gajeel asked

"It would be about the same as Kori's boosted reading here; although her mana would be larger as a Dragon" Layla said with a smile.

"That's right, the power we granted the Slayers in our charge puts them at equal footing with us Royals" Saphira humbly replied as Kori hugged her.

"So who was the strongest Royal?" Erza bluntly asked

"Strength comes in many forms, in my opinion it would be Grandine" Saphira replied as Layla nodded in agreement

"Yay!" Wendy exclaimed as she clapped, both Gajeel and Natsu felt depressed.

"Enough about that, I'd like you all to pick up where you left off yesterday, with exception to Erza. Please keep in mind that you are now stronger, so work on controlling that strength... I would prefer to not be repairing this entire dimension again" Layla announced.

* * *

The rest of the group split up like they had for the previous week except for Erza who remained behind with Layla

"Is there something wrong Layla?" Erza asked wondering why she had been kept behind

"Not at all, I would just like you to try equipping your Pandora Armor" Layla responded as she clapped creating the modesty wall with the armor stand inside.

Erza quickly changed into the Armor and emerged from the wall.

"It doesn't look like it works yet, at least it's still heavy and nothing is glowing like last time" Erza said as she looked at Layla

"I'd like you to concentrate on activating the armor by yourself, it may take some time but you should be capable" Layla replied as she changed her eyes to blue to watch Erza's power expenditure.

Erza closed her eyes and focused on her breathing; soon a torrent of yellow magic erupted around her and the ground cracked beneath her feet, chunks of grass and rocks defied gravity shooting into the sky. Layla smiled as she watched Erza's impressive control of magic like it was second nature and with in seconds she had activated the armor.

"Extremely impressive" Layla said with a smile as the armor became weightless and the insignia all glowed yellow with yellow steam seeping from each.

"Thanks, I hope I can live up to your expectations" Erza humbly replied

"I'm sure you will, but for now I'd like you to practice your mobility and striking in the arena area for a while. I'm going to organise a suitable opponent for you so that you can get a better feel for combat in the armor. I'll be down there with them in about 1 hour, so please warm-up and familiarize yourself" Layla said with a reassuring smile.

"I look forward to it" Erza said as she made her way down to the arena

* * *

One hour passed, Erza had got used to the lack of weight the armor had and the different lengths of the swords, which was a slight change from her normal dual wield setup in her Japanese Cloth set that consisted of 2 long swords.

Layla arrived and greeted Erza with a wave. "Hello Erza, are you all warmed up and ready to test your armor in combat?"

"Yes, I think I have the feel for it now... Did you not organise an opponent?" Erza said slightly confused as Layla was alone.

"Oh I have the perfect opponent for you to practice with" Layla said with a smile

"But your alone... Wait... You can't mean!?" Erza said as she looked at Layla

Layla smiled as her eyes changed to a fiery yellow, and she began to walk backwards

"Yes, your opponent shall be... Me... A large target... For your first test..."

A giant green pillar of fire erupted from Layla's position which towered into the sky. Blue wind swirled violently at the base of the fire creating a tornado that quickly rose into the air as arcs of lightning poured down from the sky above which had turned overcast in Citrine's presence.

A wall of magical pressure shot out from the calamity, causing the walls of the arena to crack... Despite this, Erza found that she was completely unaffected, she didn't even need to brace herself for the change in wind pressure.

As the maelstrom of Elements cleared Citrine in her full dragon form was revealed to Erza for the first time.

* * *

Around the area everyone else inside the dimension abruptly stopped as they all sensed the release of energy...

"The hell is that?!" Gray and Kori both exclaimed from the Mountains, as they could see Citrine's form below.

"I haven't seen Citrine like that for over 400 years" Saphira said as she looked down with the pair.

"That's Citrine!?" Kori and Gray both gasp

Meanwhile Lucy, Gajeel, Natsu, and Wendy who had all felt the magic before, knew it was Citrine; each of them started to converge on the Arena from their different locations.

* * *

Back at the arena Erza looked up at Citrine intimidating form and wondered just how serious she was about this...

"Are we really going to do this? is it safe?" Erza said slightly worried knowing the 1.4 million output she saw on Layla's reading.

"ALTHOUGH I HAVE RELEASED THIS FORM, I HAVE RESTRICTED MY POWER CONSIDERABLY" Citrine said looking down at Erza and giving her a nod.

Erza smiled as she felt her muscles cry out for action "Very well, Come!"

Citrine flashed a grin and then, vanished...

Erza was slightly confused by this, but knew that Citrine was serious in testing her, so she doubled her awareness as she tried to find Citrine's location...

A large crack of thunder was heard overhead as Erza quickly dodged an incoming pillar of lightning but despite this the lightning curved into her armor and dissipated.

Erza raised her sword into the air and considered returning fire, but because of Citrine's speed decided against it; instead she focused all the power into her weapons causing them the erupt in white flames.

Citrine vanished from the air and appeared behind Erza only moments later as she swung down at Erza with her powerful claws.

Erza quickly spun around, slicing at Citrine's leg which connected and cracked a large row of golden scales; Citrine releasing a pained roar in response.

Erza was initially worried that she may have caused lasting damage, but she watched as the scales started to repair themselves almost immediately.

Erza seeing this realised, there was little reason to hold back... deciding now she would go on the offensive.

Erza quickly leapt upwards at Citrine and slashed at her chest several times, each strike inflicting some damage; however while Erza was doing this, Citrine managed to quickly manoeuver her right claw behind Erza, and hit her from behind sending her flying towards one of the arena walls.

As Erza flew across the grounds, she saw energy gathering in both of Citrine's hands. So as soon as Erza made contact with the wall, she quickly sprang back off it and started to run around the edge of the arena avoiding a beam like attack that Citrine had emitted; but once again, it curved into Erza's armor, and was converted into energy.

Erza smiled at the sight of all the white embers whizzing around her, and she decided to make the most of it this time, as she closed in on Citrine.

Erza quickly leapt upwards again at Citrine, this time stabbing her deeply in the left arm with her long sword which she used to anchor herself. Erza pointed her small-sword at Citrine, and released a blast of energy.

The shot hit Citrine straight across the chest ripping up a large portion of scales and proceeded on to penetrated her right wing; burning a hole through it causing Citrine to roar in pain. The blast from her own attack however effected Erza which she wasn't prepared for, as the shockwave sent her flying out of the arena and up onto the grassy hill.

As she flew backwards, she saw Citrine quickly climb out of the arena after her, the damage inflicted healing as the hole in her right wing started to close.

Citrine looked at Erza who after landing had immediately gotten back to her feet with both swords extended ready for more. The sight caused her to smile

"VERY GOOD ERZA, YOU HAVE WON" Citrine announced as she stretched out her wing and looked at the hole still closing.

"I GUESS THIS CAN BE A GOOD TEST ALSO... TRY THE HEALING WITH THIS ENERGY" Citrine said as she raised her left hand creating the same beam attack she used earlier, which once again arced at Erza becoming instantly absorbed.

Erza leapt up towards Citrine's chest and clashed the 2 swords together releasing a large green wall of energy; as it passed through Citrine the damage to the wing almost instantly closed. Citrine smiled seeing this as she reapplied the seals she opened and returned to her human form.

"Your judgement is excellent Erza, you did extremely well for your first combat test" Layla said with a smile.

"Thank you. I was pretty intimidated of your form, it's rather scary to be honest. But after your magical attacks got continuously absorbed, I realised that the only thing I needed to worry about was ensuring you didn't get physically behind me." Erza replied with a smile

"Yes, your choice to dodge them initially was the correct one. Until you know the strength of your opponent, and that the armor is capable of absorbing their attacks, only then is it wise to start your own attack. This was exactly how you approached this test, and that is what pleased me the most."

"It is possible that an overwhelming force can still hurt you; except for some elaborate combined attack by multiple powerful beings, there are only 2 individuals with the strength to magically hurt you, Obsidian and Myself." Layla said with some emphasis on Obsidian.

"You said you restricted your power, may I ask how much you were using" Erza asked curiously to gauge what she had just saw.

"For the last hour I altered the first few seals to my power to allow my form at a reduced level, however I was using approximately 15% of my total, which as far as the analyser would be concerned, would put my output at around 215,000"

"So the armor is able to sufficiently protect against magic of that magnitude" Erza said as she smiled.

"Yes a good rule of thumb for you to use would be 2x your output is what you can absorb with 0 difficulty, you can exceed that if you expend the magic immediately however, but I would suggest limiting yourself to an absolute maximum of 3x." Layla said with seriousness.

"2x... I was around 90,000 last time I wore the armor" Erza said

Layla's eyes changed to blue as she looked at Erza "I would put you now closer to 120,000 in the armor"

"Well that certainly rules out the majority" Erza said with a smile to Layla.

* * *

At that moment the rest of the group raced up to the pair.

"What was all that about?" Lucy said looking at her mother worried

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Natsu exclaimed

"Oh my, is anyone hurt!?" Wendy asked in concern

"Damn you guys weren't kidding, Citrine was pretty damn scary" Gray exclaimed

"Yeah that was a first for me also but mom had told me how powerful Citrine was" Kori said with surprise

"Oh that was just 15%" Layla said with a giggle.

"THAT WAS 15%!?" both Kori and Gray exclaimed as they becoming extremely terrified.

"Yeah if Citrine really cuts loose this place falls apart around her" Gajeel said remembering the last time

"I must thank you Erza, its been a very long time since I could have a little fun, even if it was at a reduced rate" Layla said with a smile

"What is that armor you are wearing, I sense more power coming from it then I have ever seen in human hands" Saphira said as she raised an eyebrow.

"It's armor I created, Erza is the first and only Magic Slayer" Layla replied slightly defensively as she watched for Saphira's reaction

Saphira squinted slightly at it before casually saying "Glad I'm not the enemy, almost makes me feel sorry for the Demons"

"Demons!?" Everyone except Lucy and Kori exclaimed

"A war is coming, Zeref is going to be unleashing an army of Demons" Lucy replied.

"That Obsidian bastard" Gajeel said as he punched his open palm

"War huh, well, guess we get to test out our powers... I'm fired up!" Natsu exclaimed

"If it is unavoidable... than I for one am thankful for Layla helping us get this far" Gray said as he stripped into his boxers

"If we have no choice then we need to get stronger to protect our friends" Wendy added

"Fairy Tail will be the spearhead of humanity in this War, other guilds will be preparing defence, but our group will be taking the fight directly to Zeref, Acnologia and ultimately Obsidian." Layla said with a serious glint in her eyes.

"So that's why you have taken a special interest in us" Erza bluntly replied

"Yes. The Dragon Slayers may have been born for this moment, but yourself, Gray, and Lucy have shown exceptional heart and ability, and with your unique styles you all add extra flexibility to the group" Layla said with a proud smile

The group looked at each other and smiled, they all realised their importance and knew they had to do their best in training; everyone was counting on them...


	31. Lending a Hand

The group consisting of Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Kori, Lucy, Erza, and Gray had been inside the dimension for 28 days now and their turn inside was soon to be over. They had all become quite strong thanks to Layla's enhancement of their bodies Eternano control, and the rigorous training they had all completed during their stay.

Erza had sparred with Citrine countless times over the last few weeks ever since she had been able to use her Pandora Armor. Each day Citrine would modify her seals to change the state of her release; making her profile smaller with minor increases of power, she would also mix up her attack patterns and style of fighting giving Erza a taste of a variety of powerful encounters.

Natsu and Gajeel had initially extensive sparred together but after the second week they split apart to focus individually on more conventional training to build strength, speed, and endurance.

Wendy and Lucy were inseparable and trained as a team, with the help of the empowered array of Zodiac Celestials to choose from and Gemini's ability to copy everyone except Kori, Saphira, and Layla.

Gray had made significant progress under Kori and Saphira's guidance the three becoming close. With the attraction between Gray and Kori, Saphira had been vigilant to ensure it remained strictly professional. However, with the plan for her to be leaving in search of the remaining dragons, she knew she wouldn't be there forever to watch them so she started to ease up over time.

With time in the Dimension drawing to an end the group decided to focus more on recuperation as they prepared to rejoin the outside world...

* * *

"Over these past few weeks you have all come so far, and it warms my heart to see all of you mastering control over your new powers. Remember the outside world and the people in it, cannot be so easily repaired like this 'disposable' environment! So your control and restraint is far more important than your strength." Layla said with overwhelming pride to the group

Everyone in the group smiled at each as they absorbed Layla's words.

"We couldn't have come this far without your help Layla" Erza thankfully replied

"Yeah you're the best Lucy's Mom" Natsu exclaimed

"Yes, this place has been wonderful Momma" Lucy replied with a tear while Wendy cheered in agreement

"Sure was fun being able to cut loose" Kori replied with a grin

"Geehee" Gajeel said with a wide smile.

"Yeah, thanks to Saphira and Kori as well for lending me a hand in here" Gray replied with a smile to the two.

"No need to thank us Gray, you have been a pleasure to work with" Saphira responded with a humble curtsey

"Yeah we got your back, snowflake" Kori responded with an evil laugh as Natsu and Gajeel snickered

"Thanks for all the kind words everyone." Layla said with a smile before adding "but I think its time we worked on our last training project..." Layla said with a grin

"Final huh, what did you have in mind?" Gajeel asked

"Well a few weeks back, Lucy suggested we add a Hot-spring... I think with the magic you all possess, making a Hot-spring may be a perfect way to test your... finesse" Layla replied

"All right!" Lucy proclaimed with a cheer

"Yay!" Wendy added

"Yes! we can do this" Erza said triumphantly.

"Okay, Citrine and I are going to go inside for tea. We will leave all the planning and design to you, so make us proud" Saphira said with a wave as Layla and her entered the accommodation building.

* * *

"So where should we make this thing?" Erza asked

"It would be convenient if it wasn't too far from the accommodation" Wendy replied

"Yeah, it should have some cover from wind also" Lucy replied

"Maybe slightly up the hill behind the accommodation? that has trees and isn't too far" Kori added

"Sounds like a plan" Gajeel responded

"Yeah and if we want it to be natural I guess I can melt some mountain rocks creating magma for heating" Natsu exclaimed as he lit his fist on fire

"Just don't over do it, we aren't looking to burn down the forest" Gray added knowing Natsu's lack of control.

"Yeah yeah, I got it stripper" Natsu angrily retorted.

"Ok well who is best at digging?" Wendy asked looking at everyone

"I got it, I'll just blast a hole in the mountain!" Natsu exclaimed before Gray hit him and they both began to brawl

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Erza yelled both Natsu and Gray cowering in fear.

"I know, I can use Virgo! She loves to dig" Lucy exclaimed

"Yes! Virgo is perfect for this task. Now lets all scout out a suitable location up the mountain" Erza replied

* * *

The group was preparing to split up however after walking only 50 meters up the hill they found that the slightly artificial nature of the mountains construction; having no errosion or weathering, made it almost pointless as it was mostly the same no matter where they turned.

"Well I guess we should just cut out our own area?" Kori said as she looked around

"It does seem pointless to find a better location, so we shall make our own!" Erza proclaimed with a glint in her eyes

"So I should just blast a chunk out of the mountain side?" Natsu exclaimed

"No we aren't looking for a smoldering hole, we need to be precise!" Lucy angrilly replied

"I would be more suitable when it comes to removing the larger part" Erza said as she changed into her Japense cloth wielding her Benizakura.

"We are counting on you Erza" Gray said with a smile.

"You got this Erza" Natsu exclaimed

Erza concentrated as a yellow aura of energy enveloped her body and rocks started to levitate around her, then she quickly sliced into the mountain side with a flurry of precision strikes.

However, the attacks seemed to do nothing despite their impressive looking nature, causing everyone else to stare in confusion

"What happened?" Kori said confused

"It's ok I'm not finished yet" Erza said with a smile as she equipped her Giant's Armor.

Erza once again concentrated as yellow energy enveloped her again and she then quickly punched the landscape to everyone's shock. When she made contact a substantial section of the area rocketed off the side of the mountain crashing down into the ocean below.

As the dust cleared a perfect triangle-shaped wedge had been cut into the mountain side giving them a nice flat surface to work with.

"Amazing Erza!" Gray exclaimed as he surveyed the flattened area

"I have to admit, that was impressive" Kori said with a smile.

"With this section now clear, we can have Virgo cut out the hot-springs" Lucy triumphantly announced.

"But wait what are we going to fill the hot-spring with? we can't simply put water in it" Gajeel said

"Kori and I will handle the water source by creating an Ice glacier at the top of the mountain peak" Gray said this as he nodded to Kori who engaged Dragon Force releasing her wings.

"We'll freeze a large chunk up top, Gajeel and Natsu you two try to figure out a way to channel the water down the hill to the spring area." Kori said as she grabbed gray and took off up the mountain.

"Hmm I guess I can make some metal aqueduct or something" Gajeel said

"Amazing! Then we just need Natsu to heat it" Wendy said with a smile as Natsu who started to run up the hill with his fist on fire

"IN A CONTROLLED WAY!" Lucy yelled as knowing Natsu he would just blow the ice apart in one large attack.

"I know... Jeez what do you take me for" Natsu exclaimed as he stopped in place

"We take you for the guy that had his fist on fire and was running up the hill two seconds ago" Lucy angrily replied

"Well how can I even do that..." Natsu complained to himself.

"Why don't I have Virgo dig some holes, then you melt a bunch of rocks making lava?" Lucy exclaimed

"Okay, let's do it Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed as he picked up Lucy bridal style and began running up the hill.

"What!" Lucy said in shock, but soon found herself extremely happy to be in Natsu's arms as she held on tightly to him and enjoyed his warmth.

"Guess we can cut a few pool areas around the place without Virgo" Erza said as she re-equiped her Benizakura

"I could use wind to erode the edges of them!" Wendy excitedly added.

"Mmm, that's a fine suggestion Wendy" Erza said as she made a few small cuts in places around the area

Wendy through all her channelling training made a small tornado that drilled delicately down into the ground around Erza's cuts, creating softly cut pools around the area.

* * *

Meanwhile at the top of the mountain Kori and Gray surveyed the area...

"If I make a large pile of ice you think you can fill it with your Blizzard?" Gray asked Kori

"Sure thing" Kori said as she dropped Gray off near the summit.

Gray looked down the hill as he worked out how much ice he should make to cover the top

"ICE MAKE: FLOOR" Gray exclaimed as he froze over the top 3rd of the mountain surface

"ICE MAKE: WALL" Gray exclaimed as a large wall was created around the edge of the frozen section creating a 'cup' like effect for him to fill.

"ICE MAKE: GEYSER!" Gray exclaimed as the inside area erupted full of ice spikes that covered the top of the mountain

"Okay that should be plenty, you think you can work with that Kori?" Gray shouted as he looked up at Kori who was staring at all the ice in love; her heart skipping a beat.

"Huh? Oh right..." Kori responded as she snapped out of her trance

"Here we go" Kori said as she flew upwards into the sky above the frozen section a blue aura of cold fire surrounding her as she extended her wings and exclaimed

"FREEZING WATER DRAGON SECRET ART: SLEET STORM"

A blizzard of partially frozen water rained down on top of the mountain, the ice slurry smoothed the sharp contours of Gray's spikey geyser ice before hardening itself into a frozen cap over the mountain.

Kori landed next to Gray and the two exchanged a high-five. Afterwards they simply stood and admired their work, as silence and calm came over them both as they observed the frozen wonderland they had created at the top of the mountain.

Unfortunately for them Gajeel interrupted the mood.

"Looks like you two did a number on this place" Gajeel said as he looked around at the frozen wasteland as Gray and Kori just looked at him in silence.

"Dunno where Salamander is, so not sure if the heating is done or not; but this duct here behind me should funnel the water down the hill to the springs" Gajeel said as he pointed to the metal slide he had patched together.

"I can revert some of the ice to water, but we will need to know if the others are ready" Kori responded with a smile

"Guess we should all head back down to check on 'em" Gray said as the 3 of them followed the metal duct back to the springs.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the half way point between the ice and the spring area Natsu, Lucy and Virgo were looking at the duct Gajeel had created.

"Looks pretty sturdy, but remember we don't want to melt it simply heat it" Lucy said

"What punishment do you have for me, princess" Virgo replied

"Hmm, what if we dug a trench beside the duct?" Lucy said with a raised finger in the air.

"As you wish princess" Virgo replied as she dug a shallow trench beside the metal duct.

"It needs to be deep, really deep!" Natsu replied as he looked at the thinly dug tench... Virgo dug multiple deep holes inside the trench as suggested

"I can work with this" Natsu said with a smile as he jumped down one of the deep holes disappearing from vision

"Natsu?" Lucy exclaimed as she looked down where Natsu had jumped. She became worried as she couldn't see him, only darkness.

About 15 seconds past with no sign of him, and Lucy was having difficulty keeping calm. Suddenly, the ground around her began to rumble and she felt a sudden rush of magical pressure shoot out of the hole.

Lucy looked back down the hole and saw a red glow in the darkness, and she quickly realised it was rapidly approaching. She quickly ran back for cover as Natsu shot out into the air wrapped in fire with a spew of lava following in his wake, filling the trench with the molten red rock.

"Now that was fun!" Natsu exclaimed before Lucy freaked out at him for making her worry.

"It's okay Lucy, you know I'll never leave you" Natsu said with a big grin causing Lucy to stop suddenly, as his words filled her with a sense of calm.

"Just don't scare me like that, got it" Lucy said as she hugged Natsu; he was confused at what he done, however he smiled and responded "Yeah, you got it" as he held her tightly back.

"We interrupting?" Kori suddenly said with a mischievous grin as she, Gray and Gajeel arrived at the scene on their way down the hill.

Lucy quickly let go of Natsu in embarrassment, before in a panic exclaiming "No, no, it's nothing, it's just..." Lucy turned red not sure what to say.

"We just need to check up on Erza and Wendy to see if we are good to release some of the water" Gray said as he walked passed the group and continued down the hill, Gajeel following shortly behind.

Kori gave Lucy a wink as she walked passed to caught up to the other two on the way down. Natsu smiled at Lucy and extended his hand "Come on, we should get going"

"Yeah..." Lucy responded with a warm smile as she took his hand and the two walked down the hill behind the group.

* * *

The group of five returned to the cleared section and were surprised to find it complete. Thanks to Wendy's tornado and Erza's swords a smoothly cut pit awaited at the bottom, there was even a rock formation that Erza had stacked using some of the cut sections to create a small area for the water to trickle down as a waterfall.

"Are you guys finished at the top?" Erza asked seeing the 5 return.

"Yeah we got a bunch of ice and water at the peak" Gray Responded

"I've made a duct between here and there so it can follow that down" Gajeel added

"And we made a section of lava near the duct half way up for heating" Lucy added with a smile to Natsu

"Sounds like we are ready" Erza said with a smile.

"I can turn some of the ice into water to start with, when we have enough we can let the rest melt naturally" Kori said as she extended her wings

"Okay, let's do it" Wendy cheered happily as Kori took off up the mountain.

* * *

Kori quickly reached the top and landed near the ice wall beside Gajeel's duct. She extended her hand touching the section wall and with a blue flash in her eyes she said "Flow".

The wall section instantly melted releasing a small torrent of icy water down the metal slide. Kori lifted off and pursued the water down the mountain, matching her speed with it to monitor its descent.

She watched as steam rose when it went past the halfway point lava, but the water wasn't completely boiled off; a good sign that they didn't over do it. The water soon reached the bottom and flowed down the stacked rocks Erza had created, breaking up into small waterfalls which began to fill the pools.

They all sat back and smiled at the sight of the pools filling with steamy water.

Lucy knelt down, placing her hand in the water, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that they had come out with the perfect temperature; it wasn't cold at all and it wasn't hot enough to burn yourself.

The group cheered, but then it dawned on them... Who was going first?

"Girls first?" Wendy said with a smile

"We have just as much right to go first" Gajeel replied

"Well I don't mind if we share" Erza responded as she started to take her gear off.

"What NO!" Lucy screamed

"Well I'm going in, you can figure it out" Kori said as she jumped into the hot-spring naked, shocking Wendy and Lucy. Natsu, Gajeel and Gray all fell over backwards in shock with nosebleeds.

"What's a little skinship between friends" Erza said as she jumped in following Kori's lead.

* * *

"I... didn't think... she would do it..." Gray said trying to breath as he laid on his back

"I guess they win..." Gajeel replied

"Yeah..." Natsu said forced to agree

The three of them dragged themselves to their feet and before they could do anything they heard Lucy's voice.

"DONT YOU DARE PEEK!" Lucy exclaimed as the 3 guys continued to face away from the hot-spring; all of them sighed and started slowly making their way back down the hill.

"I guess we can let Saphira and Layla know that it's complete" Gray said as they walked towards the accommodation

* * *

The three of them entered the Accommodation Building moments later as it was only down the hill. They all were slightly depressed that they weren't up there themselves but someone had to tell Layla and Saphira it was done.

"Oh you are back, we heard some explosions and felt your magic use from here. So, how did it turn out?" Saphira said looking at the 3 depressed men who just entered the room

"Well it's finished, and apparently it's good..." Natsu replied

"But we wouldn't know, the girls commandeered it" Gajeel added

We were forced to admit defeat..." Gray said trying to contain a smile as he started to blush

"Admit defeat?" Saphira replied in confusion

"Let's just say Kori overpowered us" Gajeel said wiping sweat from his forehead

Natsu and Gray remained quiet but both couldn't help blush.

Saphira sighed as she started to piece together an idea from the 3's reactions

"Oh how did it go?" Layla said as she came down from the stairs into the room

"It's finished, apparently the girls 'overpowered' them" Saphira replied with a sigh

Layla raised an eyebrow at this but was interrupted by what felt like an earthquake...

* * *

The group rushed outside just moments before an avalanche rolled down through the accommodation building...

"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!" Gray quickly exclaimed creating a large ice barrier around the group, diverting the avalanche away from the five of them.

"What happened?" Gajeel exclaimed as he looked at the devastation in front of him

"LUCY!? THE GIRLS? WHERE ARE THEY?" Natsu shouted in a panic as he ignited in fire and started running through the snow, melting it in his wake as he searched.

However, Natsu didn't get far before he abruptly stopped, frozen in his tracks. The rest of the group came running to him but as they got there Natsu collapsed

"Natsu are you ok?" Layla said as she knelt down to check on him but she was less concerned when she realised he was smiling and had an uncontrollable nosebleed. She looked up and saw Gray and Gajeel also collapse, while Saphira shook her head in disappointment.

Layla looked to see what the fuss was about and saw the 4 girls all piled on top of each other with shocked looks on their faces, naked and frozen in ice created by Kori.

"Humans..." Saphira said shaking her head before her eyes flashed blue; the ice exploding into water.

The 4 girls all gasping for breath covered themselves with their arms in embarrassment.

"Do I really want to know what happened here?" Layla said as she clapped creating temporary clothing for the 4.

Layla just sighed, and walked off back down the hill to repair the accommodation building, yet again.

Saphira raised an eyebrow at the 4 and couldn't help her curiosity "Well unlike Citrine, I would like to know what caused this?" she said with judgement in her eyes.

"Well..." Lucy said as she blushed

"Kori..." Saphira said looking at her with disappointment.

"I kind of... kissed Erza" Kori responded with a sarcastic laugh before adding "I was joking, but I took it too far"

Erza blushing came clean... "In my surprise, I leapt out of the hot-spring, and collided with the metal ducting by accident"

"I guess the duct destabilized the ice at the top of the mountain and it all came crashing down on us before we knew it" Kori said as she tried to contain her smile.

"..." Saphira looked at the 4 in confusion before sighing and walking off towards Layla who was reconstructing the accommodation

The 4 girls looked at each other and couldn't help themselves as they all burst into laughter, before Gajeel exclaimed "Glad you find it all funny"

"Yeah we didn't even get to use the hot-spring!" Natsu exclaimed

Gray however couldn't contain his grin from his position on the ground having overheard the story which it seemed Gajeel and Natsu missed.

"What's with you Gray" Gajeel said looking at him in confusion.

Kori walked over and peered down at him in confusion before grinning, which caused Gray to start laughing uncontrollably

"Oh calm down, you perv" Kori said as she extended her hand to help him up.

"Ha, says you 'miss lead-the-charge' into the hot-spring" Gray replied with a grin as his nose started to bleed again

Kori smiled seeing Gray's reaction before saying "Seems someone enjoyed the show", before she started to walk off down the hill with her hands up behind her head, and a very large grin over her face...


	32. Homeward Bound

After the 'Disaster' of the Hot-spring, Layla decided to take matters into her own hands and created a real natural hot-spring in the area.

Because the spring was intended for relaxation, she decided to use the energy recovery of Sky Magic that was removed from the wisps; applying it as an enchantment to the pools to replenishing those that soaked in them.

It was the very last day the group would spend in the dimension, so they made the most out of it by doing absolutely nothing. The first order of nothing was bathing in the newly constructed hot-spring pools.

Gray and Kori had grown rather close and the previous days incident only made it more obvious to onlookers. This caused Lucy to feel some envy as she wished to have the same with Natsu, but he as usual was oblivious to romance and she was too timid to make a move herself, so they were at a stalemate.

Saphira was soon to leave Kori and she was feeling indecisive as a protective parent on what to really do. She knew however, that interfering would only cause a rift between herself and Kori, and she was old enough to make her own decisions. Saphira just wished Kori wouldn't joke around so much on the subject.

Layla also told Saphira, there was no point standing in the way of the heart; she had experienced this first hand almost 30 years ago, during her human existence.

* * *

"I have to admit, we can't hold a candle to Layla's hot-spring" Erza said as she stretched in the water

"She cheated though, she used magic to make the water do sky healing" Lucy pouted

"In fairness, we could have done the same, if Kori and I combined our magic" Wendy replied

"Yeah she is just smarter than us" Kori said smiling at Wendy

Suddenly lightning struck behind a wall near the girls position.

Lucy laughed before proclaiming "However, that is the best use of magic I have seen to date!"

Lucy looked at the electrified wall that separated the boys and girls section of the hot-spring; it was designed to shock anyone that tried to peep on either side.

"What are you ladies gossiping about" Saphira said as she and Layla had arrived to join them

"We were just admiring the wall" Wendy replied with a smile.

"I do feel sorry for the boys though" Erza said as she thought about inviting them over

"Oh don't feel bad for them, they get just as much relaxation from the water as us; they don't need any 'extra service'" Layla said with a smile as she and Saphira relaxed in a small adjacent SPA

* * *

Meanwhile on the boy's side...

"Are you ok Natsu?" Gajeel asked looking at his charred body

"I thought I was going to die!" Natsu exclaimed as he rolled back into the pool

"Well this water seems to heal, so you can always take another try after a dip" Gray replied, as he enjoyed watching Natsu get electrocuted

"Why don't you just make us some stairs or something over it" Natsu angrily responded

"Because I value my life; the girls would kill me" Gray said with a shiver

As he said that a lightning strike landed on the girls section of the wall followed by a scream

"See they are no better than us!" Gajeel exclaimed

"Well at least it's fair I suppose..." Natsu added

"Still it does kind of hurt my soul as a man" Gray added

* * *

Meanwhile on the girl's side...

"Really Kori..." Saphira said as she looked at Kori's charred body

"What... I just wanted to see If I could use an Ice mirror to see over the wall..." Kori pouted

"Well the wall sure showed you" Lucy replied with a giggle

"Actually I had to do that manually. It never occurred to me you would go to these lengths" Layla said with surprise

"I out smarted the system!" Kori proclaimed

"I'm not sure if that's something to be proud of" Wendy said with a teardrop

"Let's not give the boys ideas, they have more to gain" Lucy added

"Oh? Are you saying you wouldn't like a peek?" Kori replied with a grin, Lucy who wasn't ready for the question thought of Natsu and blushed

"I knew it!" Kori exclaimed as Layla giggled

"Really Lucy? Which one caught your eye?" Erza replied somehow oblivious to the obvious

"It's Natsu isn't it!" Kori said with a grin as Lucy turned completely red

"Well you like Gray!" Lucy replied trying to divert attention

But instead, Kori exhaled deeply and said "Gray" with a passionate smile

"Just so you know... This wall doesn't stop sound... we can hear everything" Gajeel shouted over the wall, as all the girls froze in shock

"Gray you stud!" Natsu exclaimed

"You too Natsu!" Gray replied

"WHY AREN'T YOU TWO FIGHTING!" Lucy screamed over the wall prompting Layla to laugh.

"Don't laugh Momma, it's embarrassing!" Lucy pouted

"We could always invite them over" Erza replied

"Seconded!" Kori immediately added

"Third!" Gajeel yelled from over the wall

"Noooo!" Wendy and Lucy screamed

"Sorry boys it wasn't unanimous" Layla replied with a laugh

"I'm surprised you let it get this far" Saphira said as she looked at Layla

"It's our last day here, I guess I'm just trying to have fun also" Layla replied with a smile.

"Still... Being cooped up for so long, this pool does little to release the stress on my seals" Layla said as she stretched

"Your seals? The things you were changing for our sparring?" Erza asked slightly concerned

"Yes, and that did help, but I haven't released some of the larger ones for a while" Layla replied

"Does that mean you need to release 100% again momma?" Lucy replied slightly terrified

"100%" Wendy said as she shivered in fear

"100%? Is it really that bad?" Kori asked in confusion

"Terrifying" Gajeel shouted from over the wall

"What you're scared too Gajeel, but you're a Dragon Slayer!" Kori replied

"Kori... Citrine at full power... Scares me" Saphira replied with seriousness

"Really?" Erza replied surprised that another Dragon would be scared.

"I guess you will all have to judge for yourselves!" Natsu exclaimed from over the wall.

"You are all strong enough now so I'll show you all before we leave. You need to know so you understand the threat Obsidian poses" Layla replied with a reassuring smile, but a seriousness

* * *

A few hours had passed; they had all done a final clean up of the place ensuring it was ready for the next group, and everyone was now gathered outside the accommodation building.

Each of them took turns cycling through the Magic Analyser for a final time, however they hadn't really gone up too much since the first week. However there was some progress for all of them so they were happy.

Saphira was talking with Layla a little down the grassy hill, regarding her plans with releasing the seals. As Saphira turned and made her way back to the group they all noticed the worried expression on her face.

"What was all that about?" Lucy asked concerned

"Yeah, you look worried Mom" Kori said with some confusion

Saphira answered with some sighs of worry "Citrine is going to 'show you' her power"

"But we have already seen her form at 100%" Natsu replied confused

"Yeah it's scary but what's the big deal this time?" Gajeel added

"She is going to use an attack... she want's you all to brace yourselves..." Saphira said with fear in her voice.

"WHAT!" Lucy exclaimed in horror

"Are you serious!" Natsu said with fear

"I take it I should be terrified" Gray said sweating

"She never went above 20% vs me, so if she is going to be 5x that... I'm concerned" Erza said with a tremble in her voice

"Well I doubt she will let anything happen to us" Kori replied with a smile

Layla shouted from down the hill "Okay I'm starting!"

* * *

Layla closed her eyes, and soon all the visible blue wisps of air in the dimension drew to her like a magnet as they began to swirl around her. Sparks of white lightning flickered in the wind like static electricity and the sky filled with ominous dark clouds...

A massive pillar of green fire erupted; much like Erza had seen earlier but the intensity was significantly greater. The blue wind that had gathered swirled violently around the fire and became thicker, soon rising creating a solid blue tornado.

Multiple giant arcs of white lightening poured out from the clouds above striking the flames 25 meters in the air and as they did a shockwave of magical energy erupted outwards.

The air suddenly grew thick like a liquid around the onlooking wizards, and fear began to seep into their souls. A blinding light shone from the maelstrom as all the other elements finally dissipated.

"I DON'T HAVE LONG" Citrine exclaimed as her Golden Dragon form was revealed.

Citrine raised her right palm towards the group and a thick green dome shield appeared over their position

"You guys weren't lying!" Gray said petrified by the crushing sensation of Citrine's Magical presence.

"How are we meant to fight something like that?" Kori replied in terror

"Together" Erza said with a reassuring smile.

"Even under this shield I'm scared of what comes next" Lucy said shivering as she held Wendy

* * *

Citrine extended her wings and multiple balls of energy seemed to condense along its length, the yellow light swirled into them as they all grew in size...

"Wait is that like Ophiuchus?!" Erza exclaimed

"But that attack was gigantic!" Gajeel said in fear

"There are at least 20 of them!" Natsu said in terror

"Oh god..." Saphira added as even she was terrified much to Kori's horror as she watched the row of lights

Suddenly all the balls of light vanished and Citrine let out a terrifying roar; it alone sent out a shockwave that demolished the accommodation building only meters from the group.

Citrine flapped her wings and quickly rose into the sky and started to hover about 100 meters from the ground with an ominious yellow aura of fire, before she spun facing away from the group towards the desert.

Multiple arcs of lightning struck her suddenly across the entire span of her wings, and like pulling a trigger, an array of yellow comets shot out from her wings in a wide 270 degree arc covering the mountains desert and ocean area in a single sweep.

As the comets made contact, the ground cracked around the shielded group and they found themselves almost blinded as multiple massive explosions filled the entire scope of their vision. The entire area was reduced to ash.

About 10 seconds passed where they couldn't hear anything but a ringing noise in their ears and they all continuously blinked to get the flashes out of there vision. All they could see was brown dust and black smoke on the outside of the shield, so they couldn't gauge the aftermath, but all of them knew... It was apocalyptic in scale.

Without warning Citrine in her human form walked in through the bubble with only her wings now out and a smile on her face. The group just stared at her completely frozen in shock before Lucy screamed "WHY" as she began to freak out.

"You all now understand why we can't fail" Layla said

A blue torrent of air formed outside the shield blowing all the dust away, revealing to the group that all that was left outside the shield was darkness. They soon realised that they were now standing on a small floating chunk of rock encased in the green sphere shaped shield.

Another smaller bubble was visibly floating near their position in the nothingness, which contained the doorway back to Earthland; much to the relief of those present.

"How are we meant to fight that?" Gray asked in horror

"With all your being" Layla replied

"What scale of attack was that" Erza bluntly asked.

"On the analyser, that would've been about 1 million" Layla replied with seriousness in her eyes.

"AWESOME!" Natsu exclaimed as everyone else just blinked in shock

"As devastating as that was, this dimension is no substitute for Earthland. Unlike here, there would be a significant crater instead, but not much else." Layla clarified

"So what of this place now?" Gajeel asked as it was no longer useful

"I'll repair it for the others, but it will be out of operation for a few days" Layla said with a smile

"What do we do now?" Kori asked with some confusion and as she did the other bubble carrying the gate merged with theirs like a separate module.

"We take our leave, and report back to Fairy Tail" Layla said happily.

"Remember, you are all significantly stronger now! So don't do anything stupid back there" Saphira added

"I'd also recommend you don't boast about your new readings from the analyser... As it may scare some people. I'll be informing Makarov of your progress personally" Layla added

"Okay" Erza replied with a nod

"Yeah let's go, it's been fun" Gajeel said

"Right!" Lucy said regaining her confidence

"Seeya's on the other side!" Natsu exclaimed as he walked through the portal the rest of the group following except Saphira and Layla

* * *

"Do you think it was wise to show them that Citrine?" Saphira said with worry

"I needed them to be scared now, so that they will overcome that fear. When the time comes that they face Obsidian, they will not go in blind" Layla replied

Saphira sighed but Citrine was right. Saphira understood the gravity of the situation but still couldn't help be worried.

"I just wish I didn't have to destroy this place to show them, but that's my fault" Layla replied with a sigh

"How long will it really take you to fix this place, there isn't much left" Saphira asked

"Well it will actually take me 6 months, but because of the time difference that's only 1 week outside" Layla responded

"We should catch up with the group, I need to inform Kori that I will be leaving soon to find the others" Saphira said with some sadness.

"You still haven't told her?" Layla said surprised

"I didn't want her distracted during training. But now I think, with the bond she has formed with Gray, that my leaving will result in the two being closer" Saphira said a little concerned.

Layla giggled "Well, Gray has proven himself to be kind and caring; he has a warm and protective heart for his friends, she would be hard pressed to find better" Layla said with a reassuring smile to Saphira

"I guess you are right, at least she wont freeze him to death... That boy has a remarkable resilience to the cold" Saphira said with a smile as she walked out of the portal.

Layla looked around at the nothingness "I'll be back to fix you up soon" she said to the void, before stepping through the portal herself...


	33. The Real World - Part 1

To demonstrate the threat Obsidian posed, the Dragon Citrine destroyed the training dimension in front of the group; who watched from the safety of a shield. All of the group was severely shaken by the display of power, and knew that one day they would have to face Obsidian at the same scale.

Every member of the training group has gained significant strength all of them being well over 20,000 in output on their last reading. Kori was significantly higher in her unleashed Dragon Force state, as well Erza, who was now in possession of the Pandora Armor.

Saphira planned to break the news to Kori, that she would soon be leaving to search for the remaining Royals, and that they would eventually all meet up on 'the isle'.

The group has now returned to Fairy Tail for the first time in 1 month from their perspective, however it had only been 1 day in Earthland. Now, Layla was wondering how best she could inform Makarov of their power...

* * *

"Hey guys! We are back!" Natsu proclaimed having emerged from the portal

"Natsu, how did it go?" Lisanna asked from a table next to Elfman and Mira, who was taking a break from the bar

"I'm much stronger now!" Natsu proclaimed igniting his fist

"Remember Natsu, we need to control ourselves" Erza said scolding him

"Sounds like you all did well" Mira said with a smile as the remaining members emerged

"Of course they all did, they are MEN!" Elfman proclaimed

"I'm not a man!" Kori protested before adding "I got boobs! I'll show you"

This statement caught the attention of every male member of Fairy Tail in the building who all started to get excited.

"It's ok Kori, it's just Elfman's way, he doesn't mean it like that" Gray said calming her down

"Still everyone else seems a little too excited now..." Lucy said depressed at the lack of control the men in the guild had

"Want me to freeze them over?" Kori asked like it was a genuine solution

"Please try not to kill anyone Kori..." Saphira said with a frown from behind the group

"Yes remember, control..." Layla added

"Whoever was next, you may want to hold off" Erza announced

"Huh? Did something happen?" people asked from the crowd

"Um... The place just needs some... Repair..." Lucy said with embarrassment as Layla giggled

"Yes, it will be out of operation for about 1 week" Layla said with a smile as she modified the shield on the doorway to block everyone.

"And it totally wasn't my fault for once!" Natsu proudly exclaimed

"Yeah like you could do that" Gray added with a snicker

"What did you call me!" Natsu angrily retorted as he and Gray started a brawl. Erza quickly knocking both out.

"Oh Mira, do you know if Makarov or Mavis is around today?" Layla asked

"Master will be back shortly, he just stepped out to get something from the markets; I'm not sure where Mavis is" Mira replied

"Thank you Mira, I'll wait for him upstairs" Layla replied as she made her way upstairs

"Kori... I have something to tell you in private" Saphira said to Kori taking her by surprise

"Hmm? But I didn't do anything yet!" Kori replied

"Wait... why 'yet'... What are you planning?" Saphira said as she squinted in judgement to which Kori harmlessly laughed

Saphira sighed "Well I need to talk to you, so come with me" she said as she walked out of the building with Kori in tow.

"So Gray, I heard you were training with Kori" Mira teased, as Gray started to blush

"my, my..." Mira and Lisanna both said as they leaned forward, Erza, Lucy and Wendy all smiled

"We haven't done anything!" Gray replied with a flash of guilt causing the girls to all smile and laugh

"Well Kori did try to peep on him" Erza bluntly announced.

"So she was the one that got zapped" Gajeel said with a laugh

"Zapped?" a few people asked confused

"Oh we ended up getting a hot-spring in the training dimension, and Layla made a wall that electrocuted people who try to peep" Wendy replied

"But it's not really there anymore..." Lucy said slightly ashamed

"What did happen in there?" Elfman asked

"Let's just say a demonstration of power went a little overboard" Lucy replied

"You guys destroyed the place didn't you?" Mira said with a smile

"No it wasn't us..." Gajeel said as he nodded his head in the direction to upstairs when he did Mira's eyes grew wide

"I'm going to head to Fairy Hills to check on my room I need to rearrange some armor" Erza said as she walked out of the building

"I think I'll join you and check on my room as well" Wendy said with a beaming smile as she followed Erza to Fairy Hills.

"I'm actually hungry anyone want to get some food" Lucy said to the group

"I'll go Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed regaining conciousness

"Yeah I could eat" Gray said as he stood up

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to get a drink" Gajeel replied as he asked Mira for assistance with the bar.

"I'll come with you guys for food, I was scheduled to go into the training hall but seems that ain't happening" Cana said as she joined the group and they left to find somewhere to eat.

* * *

"Looks like everyone dispersed, how did it go inside Gajeel?" Mira asked as she tended the bar

"We are all strong thanks to Layla..." Gajeel replied taking a sip of his bourbon with a bolt in it.

"Layla told me Kori registered 93000 on the analyser is that true!?" Mira asked

"Yeah, she ended up breaking 150000 in the end with Dragon Force" Gajeel replied taking another sip

Mira almost fainted at the scale but composed herself before asking "What about you?"

"Us other Slayers are still a fair bit behind, but thanks to Layla I hit 25000 in the end" Gajeel replied with a smile

"That's ridiculous..." Mira said with her eyes open wide in amazement

"Yeah but what scares me is Erza..." Gajeel said with almost a show of fear in his eyes

"Erza? What about Erza!?" Mira asked as she had a long-standing rivalry with her

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Layla made Erza some magic armor, and its power scares the crap out of me" Gajeel said as his glass rattled slightly in his hand causing Mira concern

"It can't be that bad? What's she like compared to Kori?" Mira asked

"Erza would beat Kori effortlessly... That armor..." Gajeel said as he gulped the rest of his drink down and swallowed the bolt.

"Effortlessly? wasn't she 150k" Mira said confused

"Erza is capable of beating our entire group alone 6 vs 1 and she would probably be unharmed" Gajeel said almost depressed at his weakness

"Well I guess be glad she is who she is" Mira said with a smile.

* * *

Layla was waiting in Makarov's office as he walked in with a smile. He immediately freaked out when he saw her and tried to conceal whatever it was he bought...

"Lay... Layla, welcome back" Makarov said as he closed the door behind him and took a seat

"Hello Makarov, I wont ask what's in the bag" Layla said with a smile

"Oh this, it's nothing just research!" Makarov said with a laugh causing Layla to sigh

"Well what can I do for you" Makarov asked quickly changing the subject

"I've come to report the progress of the group" Layla said with a smile

"Oh how are those wayward children did they gain much?" Makarov replied with a smile

"Yes, Kori has finished the final phase of Dragon Slaying magic, and is now complete. She has since started helping Gray with his Ice Molding Magic and he has made considerable progress" Layla said with a smile

"Lucy has learned to control her power and has adjusted her thinking with how she uses her celestials. She has been favoring Gemini a lot more, now that she can copy stronger targets" Layla said with some concern as she still needed to give Lucy an alternative outlet for her power.

"Yes I was informed of Lucy's new strength and you had warned us, so as long as she is learning control that is welcome news indeed" Makarov replied with some relief

"Wendy has made significant strides in channelling her Sky Magic and her results are more than impressive" Layla said with a proud smile

"Wendy has been a valued addition to the Fairy Tail family, it is good to hear that she is improving" Makarov replied proudly

"Gajeel and Natsu have both advanced considerably, they have mastered their 'true' Dragon Force, however they still have a ways to go before they and Wendy are at Kori's level" Layla said with confidence in their ability

"Oh, how much stronger is Kori compared to the others? I know Natsu has proven himself to be quite formidable" Makarov said with pride as he thought back to the Grand Magic Tournament where Natsu overpowered the Twin Slayers

"Kori if she has access to a source of Ice which with Gray is guaranteed is approximately 4x the other Slayers in strength" Layla said with a smile

"WHAT! But that would put her over 16,000, based on the score Natsu displayed..." Makarov said as he freaked out

"Oh about that ... Um... Natsu and Gajeel are now closer to 25000, putting Kori at 100000" Layla said as she prepared to revive Makarov in the event of a heart attack.

"..." Makarov just blankly stared at Layla as if all the life was washed away from his body.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Makarov screamed as he freaked out at the new numbers, the images of Bills to repair towns flooding his vision

"They were designed to fight Dragons after all" Layla said reassuringly

"Hmm... That kind of power at the hands of those kids..." Makarov said with fear

"Don't worry Erza can keep them in their place" Layla added to help dismiss Makarov's fear but instead he leapt under the table in fear.

"What... What about Erza?... How... How can... She stop them" Makarov asked in fear from his hiding position

"I gave Erza a suit of Magic Slayer armor which greatly increases her strength in all aspects" Layla replied

"Increased Strength?" Makarov dared to ask from under the desk

"Her final reading on the analyser was 150k, and that's before she absorbs magic to bolster herself. She is capable of fighting anything toe to toe up to 400,000 with little effort" Layla clarified

"How? How could they get like that in only 1 month" Makarov asked confused as the scale was unfathomable

"After a week inside, I modified their Eternano absorbtion and output rates. This alone almost trippled their results on average, which is much better then I original anticipated. I would like to repeat this on every member of Fairy Tail after seeing the results" Layla said with a smile

"Hmm... Knowing what is at stake... I guess I can't complain about the results... But we best enhance the remaining S-Class wizards and myself first." Makarov replied with seriousness

"The procedure is best done before sleep, as you should rest your body for a few hours afterwards giving it time to adjust" Layla replied

Makarov emerged from hiding with a mischievous glint in his eye "So I would need to invite you to my room late at night you say?"

"Yes that would be the idea!" Layla replied before grinning and leaning in to say...

"However... just so you know, I destroyed the training dimension in a demonstration"

"Destroyed?" Makarov said with sweat beads forming on his forehead

"I wanted to show the group what Obsidian is capable of so that they knew fear. It will take me the rest of the week to reconstruct it" Layla replied with a dismissive smile on her face Makarov returned to hiding under his desk in fear

"I'll let you know when I'm ready... maybe do Mirajane first..." Makarov whimpered

"I'll talk to Mira down stairs and organise a time, if you can try to organise the other S-Class wizards for me, it would be appreciated" Layla said with a smile as she stood up to exit

"I would like to visit the Pillar... after the S-Class wizards are complete" Layla said as she opened the door and exited the room.

Mavis who had eavesdropped came in through a side wall and smiled at Makarov

"That woman scares me First" Makarov said as he emerged from under the table

"She just understands the seriousness of the problem better than we do" Mavis replied as she looked at the open door

"Your right, if we have anything to be scared about, it's Obsidian..." Makarov replied with a sigh

"Well it sounds like the Eternano modification is a wonderful solution" Mavis happily replied

"That also scares me, how much we don't understand the magic, its all foreign to us." Makarov replied

"Have faith, her light has not wavered in fact it has intensified" Mavis said with a beaming smile

"Hmm, you are right as always first, It's just my age talking... Maybe Gildarts can finally take over" Makarov said with a tired look on his face

* * *

Layla approached the bar area where Gajeel was sitting and Mira was tending.

"Mira, I have finished speaking to Makarov and he suggested I start with you" Layla announced

"Oh how did he take everything... is he okay? and what am I starting?" Mira replied confused

"Oh Master is fine, he hid under his desk a bit though... But as for what you are starting; after the success of the slayer group, I plan to use my magic to increase the other Fairy Tail wizard's atunement to Eternanos" Layla replied but it flew over Mira's head

Gajeel noticing Mira's expression decided to chime in "Layla did it to us inside, it makes it so you can cast bigger spells more often... basically it's a power boost"

"And master wants you to start with me?" Mira said surprised

"Yes he suggests that all S-Class wizards have it done first. All I need is 10 minutes of your time and it is best done just prior to sleep" Layla responded with a reassuring smile

"Well I guess you could come to Fairy Hills with me later tonight" Mira replied with a smile

"Who are the other S-Class wizards? Master didn't actually tell me any names except for yourself" Layla replied slightly puzzled

"Oh the S-class wizards are Myself, Erza, Laxus, and Gildarts" Mira replied with a smile

"Gildarts?" I don't believe I have met him

"Oh he rarely visits the guild but he would have been considered Fairy Tails strongest wizard, however I'm not too sure anymore" Mira replied

"Hmm so through natural talent he was the strongest... I'd like to meet him" Layla replied

"I think master has a way to contact him, so he has probably asked him to return given what you have told me" Mira said

"Damn if that magic affects him like it did us, that guy will be a monster... Even Laxus would be a force to reckoned with" Gajeel exclaimed from his chair as he took another sip of his bourbon

"Well someone has to control you Slayers, if you get out of hand" Mira replied with a giggle

"Let me know when you are ready Mira, I don't have any plans for today so it's all up to you" Layla said with a smile as she sat down at the bar

* * *

Kori and Saphira had walked to the outskirts of town near the ruined forest area where they had first met the Fairy Tail group.

"Kori... I'm going to be leaving for a little while" Saphira said

"What... Leaving where? And how long for!?" Kori replied surprised by the sudden announcement

"I'm going to go find Igneel and Metalicana with Grandine" Saphira replied

"The last time you said anything about Igneel was 8 years ago..." Kori replied with a feeling of abandonment

"Yes, but there aren't too many places to hide a dragon of Igneel's stature. With Grandines help we should be able to search them all with in a month or two" Saphira said

"two months!" Kori replied as she hadn't been seperated from Saphira for any length of time for almost 9 years

"It will be ok, remember you have Fairy Tail as well and Citrine will still be there, you have many wonderful friends to support you now" Saphira said with a reassuring smile

"Well I'm totally hooking up with Gray then" Kori said trying to convince Saphira to stay to protect her

"Kori..." Saphira sighed before adding "Even if I was here, I have a feeling there would be no stopping that eventuality"

Kori's eyes widened surprised by her mothers words, she was used to her strictness on the subject but she had just approved it.

"What... I thought you were against it..." Kori said in confusion

"You're human, I don't want you to stop being one. Having watched you and Gray the past month I can't really object" Saphira said with a smile

Kori's eyes widened and she began to smile at the blatant approval

"Just take care of him, remember your strength... although he is resilient he isn't impervious... So do not hurt him, have restraint" Saphira said as she released her seals returning to her blue dragon form

"I will mom... Don't worry I wont be rushing anything, just come back to me soon... okay?" Kori said as a tear ran down her face.

"I'll see you again soon, and with luck the others will be reunited also" Saphira said as she flapped her wings raising into the air

"I love you mom, good luck" Kori shouted as Saphira took off into the sky

"Mom's gone..." Kori said as she wiped her tears and looked down in sadness, but soon thoughts began to bounce around in her head and a mischievous grin appeared on her face...


	34. The Real World - Part 2

The group has recently returned to Earthland, and now they have all split up for the time being.

Layla and Gajeel are still in the Fairy Tail hall.

Kori and Saphira took a walk to the edge of Magnolia, where Saphira revealed that she would be leaving her in search of the remaining Royal Dragons. Kori was upset that she would be separated from her mother, however it now occurs to her that she will be unhindered in certain pursuits...

Gray, Natsu, Cana, and Lucy have all gone to the central market area to get something to eat; they had a limited choice of things to eat inside the dimension as it was all tailored towards training, so they are craving for something with flavour.

Erza and Wendy have returned to Fairy Hills to check up on their rooms...

* * *

"It's good to be back" Wendy said standing outside the Fairy Hills Dormitory.

"Yes, there is no substitute for home" Erza replied with a smile as the two entered the dorms.

The pair walking up the stairs towards their rooms on the second floor, came across into Levy who was walking back towards her room.

"Welcome back you two, how did the training go?" Levy asked with a friendly smile.

"It went great Levy, I feel so much stronger now" Wendy replied as a small gust of blue wind circled her right arm which she triumphantly gave a small fist pump with.

"You look it" Levy proudly replied

"Yes, and I would like to get your opinion on something Levy" Erza replied with a smile but also a determination in her eyes.

"Sure thing, I'm only reading in my room at the moment, so I have time" Levy responded

"Come with me to my room, both of you" Erza replied as she walked up to her room's door as she opened it, allowing the three of them to enter.

"So what is this about Erza, you're kind of scaring me" Levy said in confusion

"I'd like you to analyse some armor for me" Erza said with seriousness

"I have that book on armors that I got from the celestial realm; should I go get it from my room?" Levy asked

"No, this armor won't be in a book" Erza replied as she began to channel her power; a yellow aura of fire covering her body as a wall of magic pressure shot out shaking the entire building like an earthquake.

"What... What's going on!" Levy exclaimed having never seen such power before, but soon her eyes lit up in amazement as Erza became clad in her new Pandora armor; the golden insignia glowing with power, as a yellow mist fell from the 3 locations.

"I'd like you to tell me everything you can about this armor" Erza asked

"I'm not sure where to start..." Levy said as she put on a pair of glasses much like her wind-reading pair.

"When I was inside the dimension a few days back, I took the time to look at Layla's analyser. These glasses were made based on its design" Levi declared with a proud smile.

"Amazing Levy!" Wendy exclaimed

"Hmm, I don't think they are working correctly though... The readings say Erza's output is 168000 and claims her stats are 99/10 which is clearly wrong... I'm sorry, I think they are broken" Levi sadly replied.

"No Levi... They are correct" Erza replied

"But that is impossible! How can your stats be over 100% and output be that high!?" Levi said with skepticism.

"That's what I'd like you to tell me, it bothers me that it exceeds 100%. When a Slayer is in Dragon Force, it simply fails to register, but for me it doesn't... I want to know why"

"Hmm, well I don't know about the Slayers... But I may have a theory, based on what I think I'm seeing..." Levi said with a look of fear in her eyes.

"What is it Levi?" Wendy asked worried by Levi's look

"This armor... It isn't powered by magic alone... It almost looks like it is drawing directly from your life essence!" Levi proclaimed with horror

"I see, so with continued use?" Erza asked

"It will eventually kill you" Levi replied

"That can't be!" Wendy protested before adding "Layla made it for her to protect people!"

"How long?" Erza asked with seriousness

"It doesn't look to be fatal in a sense, but it will surely take years from your life. Based on what I am seeing, the life drain rate is related to your boosted %" Levi replied with her hand raised to her chin in thought

"You're currently at 897% and the armor seems to draw about 90x the power it should require. Based on that I would guess 1 minute of use would be roughly 1 1/2 hours of life"

"So what you're saying is, I could wear it for 1 month and it would take about 7 years off my life?" Erza replied with an amazing amount of calm

"Yes that would be accurate" Levi replied still extremely worried at the prospect.

"That's acceptable" Erza replied as she changed back out of her armor and back into her standard heart kruez.

"WHAT!" both Levi and Wendy said in shock

"But it's killing you Erza!" Wendy replied with a tear running down her face.

"No, I don't see it that way... It enables me to exchange a small portion of my life, to protect those around me from potentially fatal situations. The cost is less than I actually expected" Erza replied

"You knew?" Levi exclaimed in surprise

"I suspected... Ever since Layla told me it was bound to my blood, I knew there would be a cost" Erza replied with a smile

"But Erza..." Levi said as her eye's welled up with tears.

"Don't worry, this armor is a trump card. With the strength I have gained, my existing armor will be more than enough for most situations" Erza replied with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you Levi, you have confirmed my suspicion." Erza added

"Still 168000 output? What did you guys do in there?!" Levi replied

"Oh it's not just me, have a look at Wendy with your glasses" Erza said with a proud smile

Levi readjusted the glasses on her face and looked at Wendy, her eyes becoming wide in shock.

"Wendy... Is this for real?" Levi exclaimed with surprise.

"You haven't seen anything yet" Wendy said with a grin as she began to eat air and a blue glowing aura surrounded her body

Levi's stared at Wendy in amazement; watching the output tick up rapidly in her glasses.

A small blue tornado appeared, encasing Wendy like a cocoon; blue scales began to cover her arms and the sides of her face and her eyes changed colour from brown to Cyan. The wind suddenly dissipated around her, allowing Levi to see Wendy in her Dragon Force state for the first time.

"Amazing Wendy!" Levi exclaimed as she stared in shock at the output reading

"Layla helped us so much while we were in there. She taught us the power of our Dragon Slayer Element, and what you see now is the result of my mastery of Wind" Wendy replied with pride

"Gajeel also?" Levi said as a small blush came over her face

"Yes, Gajeel and Natsu both have similar Dragon Forces. We saw Natsu's red scaled look first hand." Wendy replied

"I'm sorry to do this, but I really do need to arrange my armors" Erza said with some bluntness

"That's okay Erza, I'm glad I could help" Levi said with a smile

"Oh, could you also keep what you have seen a secret. It goes without saying that this armor is not something I want to casually show" Erza said with seriousness

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me" Levi said happily as she left the room.

"You look strong Wendy, I'm proud of how far you have come" Erza said with pride as she thought back to Wendy during Oracion Seis' quest for Nirvana and her lack of confidence, to her battle with Chelia at the Grand Magic Tournament. To her now standing strong brimming with power and being able to enter Dragon Force so easily after consuming some air.

"Thanks, I want to always be strong for my friends" Wendy replied with a smile as she exited Dragon Force, and then also left Erza's room.

* * *

Meanwhile... Lucy, Natsu, Cana, and Gray had ended up at a Ramen stand that Cana suggested, having frequented it in the past. They were genuinely amazed, as it was some of the best Ramen they have ever had; the chef was even happy to set Natsu's on fire for him, much to his delight

"Wow Cana this is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed as she would never have thought to stop at such a place before.

"I know right!" Natsu said as he sucked in some of the spicy flames burning over his bowl.

"Yeah this place doesn't look like much from the outside, but it is hands down the best in Magnolia" Cana exclaimed with a smile

"Yeah you're telling me, this is great" Gray said as he noisily slurped down his noodles.

"Hey try not to eat like an animal!" Natsu exclaimed as he slurped down his fire

"Look who is talking flame brain!" Gray angrily replied as the 2 of them growled at each other

"Calm down you two! Don't make me bring out Gemini as Erza to control you" Lucy announced which immediately shut the two up.

"Wow never thought I would see that" Cana replied with a laugh before adding "Can you really copy Erza?"

"Yeah while we were in the training dimension I was able to copy Erza, but I still can't do Kori" Lucy replied with a smile

"That's amazing Lucy, you all must have got really strong in there" Cana said with a slightly depressed smile as she wondered about her own strength

"Hey don't worry about any of that, we are all strong here" Natsu said with a reassuring smile to Cana

"That's right, we all look out for each other. We are family in Fairy Tail!" Lucy replied with a beaming smile

"You're right" Cana replied with a warm smile

"So this is where you all are" Kori said coming out of nowhere

"Kori! What brings you here? You hungry?" Gray replied offering her a seat

"No it's ok, I'm not hungry..." Kori replied with a glint in her eyes as she stared at Gray which both Cana and Lucy noticed

"Well I'm full, I think we should head back" Cana said with a smile

"Yeah, me too" Lucy added with a smile as they both stood up and grabbed Natsu

"What! I wanted another bowl!" Natsu exclaimed as the two girls dragged him off, leaving Gray and Kori alone.

"Feel like getting out of here Snowflake?" Kori said with a smile

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that" Gray replied with embarrassment

"You're just too easy... Come with me, we have something to talk about" Kori said with a grin as she took Gray's hand

Gray smiled at Kori and said "Okay, where are we heading?"

"How about your place?" Kori replied as a mischievous smile flashed on her face that caused Gray to almost choke in surprise

"Wh... What... M...M...My place?" Gray stuttered in shock

"You're just too cute!" Kori said with a wink before adding "Seriously though, I'd like to talk to you in private"

Gray noticed that Kori's voice seemed to take on a more serious tone so he responded "Sure, but my place is at the boy's dormitory, so it's not exactly private"

"So want to get a hotel room?" Kori replied once again with a grin that put Gray on edge but he wasn't going to fall for it this time

"How about we go for a walk in the nearby forest, it's secluded so you can tell me what is on your mind" Gray said with a smile.

"Sounds kinky but Okay" Kori said with a laugh as Gray lead the way to the forest

* * *

About 20 minutes passed with the two of them walking, Gray was sweating profusely as idea's rattled around in his head; Kori didn't say a word, but she did enjoy watching him squirm.

Eventually they came to a clearing in the forest and much to Kori's surprise, it had flowers growing in pockets where the sunlight pierced the overhead canopy.

"I would come here between jobs. This place is kind of my sanctuary, it would just calm me down and it's peaceful" Gray said with a smile as he looked back at Kori

"It's beautiful..." Kori said with surprise almost having to catch her breath

"So, what is on your mind?" Gray replied as he sat down on a bed of grass next to a group of flowers and looked up at Kori

Kori had originally planned to seduce Gray, but now that she was alone it dawned on her that Saphira really had left. She had never been separated from her mother for any real extended period of time over the last 9 years, and being alone now and knowing it would be a few months, made it all too real.

A tear ran down Kori's cheek much to Gray's shock before Kori said "Saphira, she had to go away"

Gray sprang to his feet and rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her in comfort before saying "Please don't cry"

"She left, and I just don't know what to do" Kori said as she sobbed into Gray's chest.

"You do what ever it is you want" Gray said with a smile as he held her, Kori grabbing his shirt burrowed her head in his chest, not saying a word as she thought to herself (whatever I want...)

"Did she tell you why?" Gray asked

"She has gone to find the other Dragons" Kori replied with a tear

"She will definitely be back" Gray said reassuringly as he stroked Kori's hair with his right hand that he used to support her head

"That Dragon loves you... More than I ever thought possible... The time I spent with the two of you made that abundantly clear to me" Gray said with a smile as he looked down at Kori who looked up into his eyes.

Gray moved his hand to her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb, Kori smiled at the gesture and she closed her eyes and leant forward, meeting Gray's lips; the two kissing for the first time...


End file.
